


Customer Service

by Pidgeapodge



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Canon - Comics & Cartoon Combination, Canon Compliant, Customer Service, Family, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Kyoshi Warriors - Freeform, Mystery, Ozai's A+ Parenting, Tea, The Dai Li (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pidgeapodge/pseuds/Pidgeapodge
Summary: Iroh feels bad that he didn't notice Azula's pain as much as Zuko's. He seeks to rectify that. He thinks that allowing Azula to work in the Jasmine Dragon would be helpful for her.Azula disagrees.Meanwhile, loose ends from the end of the war seek to regain power in the Earth Kingdom.
Relationships: Azula & Iroh (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 275
Kudos: 200





	1. The Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko reaches out to Iroh, wanting to help Azula. Iroh thinks of a way to help.

Zuko paced back and forth, filled with nervous energy. He had just gotten word that Azula had been captured trying to flee the Fire Nation. Apparently, she tried to steal a ship during a storm, and, not knowing how to sail a ship, crashed into the shore and broke her ankle.

Zuko was trying to think of what to do. He wanted to help Azula. He wanted to give her the support that Uncle gave him during his banishment. He wanted to give their mother peace, knowing that her daughter was home and safe. He wanted, maybe, to even have the relationship that Sokka and Katara had.

Would that even be possible?

The problem was, Zuko didn’t see how he _could_ help. He was the Fire Lord. He had a nation to run. Pardoning Azula entirely wouldn’t go over well, because she had so much to atone for. And she would certainly try to build support for herself and undermine him.

The problem was, he wanted to help Azula, but he couldn’t unless Azula let herself be helped. And how could she do that, when all their life their father instilled in her the idea that accepting help, that even acknowledging a need for help, was a weakness?

Azula would be arriving within a day or two. Her leg would hamper any escape attempts, but Zuko would have to reinforce the guards he will assign to the palace infirmary anyway. He didn’t put anything past her.

Sighing, Zuko sat down at his desk and took out a brush and inkstone. Laying out a paper in front of him, he began to write.

_Dear Uncle…_

0-0-0

It was a pleasant day in Ba Sing Se, and Iroh inhaled the scent of warm tea as he began to open the shop. The simple routine of getting everything ready made him feel complete.

In the dining area, his employee Jin swept the floors. He had hired Jin some time ago, and she proved to be a very capable worker. Iroh remembered when she was a loyal customer at Pao’s Family Tea Shop, and he enjoyed her sweet and pleasant company.

A knock came from the front door. “Message for Mr. Mushi!” called the messenger outside.

Iroh made his way over to the door and opened it. The messenger gave him his letter, and went on his way.

Iroh looked at the letter. Surely enough, it was addressed to “Mushi,” but it came from the capital city of the Fire Nation. The name in the return address was “Lee.”

Iroh smiled and went into his office. Zuko remembered to use their aliases when communicating. Despite the warming relationship between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, Iroh thought it would be prudent to hide his identity in the city he besieged for 600 days. And it would be very weird for a humble teamaker to be getting correspondence from the Fire Lord himself.

Iroh wondered how Zuko was faring. He opened the letter.

_Dear Uncle,_

_I hope everything is going well for you. Is the tea shop doing well?_

_I need help. Azula has been captured trying to flee the Fire Nation, and she broke her leg. I’ll have some time while she heals, but I am at a loss on what to do with her._

_I want to help her. I really want to help her. Our father hurt both of us so much, in different ways, and I want her to be given the chance to heal. The chance you gave me._

_The problem is, I don’t know how to do it. You spent every day with me, teaching me, being patient with me, helping me up when I fell down. The difference is, you were on a ship with me, with nowhere else to go, but I am the Fire Lord. I have so many responsibilities. I don’t know how to be there for Azula._

_I’m not sure it would be a good idea to try and ask our mother to fulfil that role. I’m worried that Azula will turn violent if I try. She already has dealt with hallucinations of our mother before, and I don’t want to unbalance her already delicate mental health._

_If there is any advice you could share with me, I would be extremely grateful. I know she’s hurt me and so many others, but she’s still family. I just want to help her, like you helped me._

_I hope everything continues to be well with you,_

_Sincerely,_

_Your Nephew,_

_Zuko_

Iroh put the letter down and sniffed. He rubbed at the tears that slid down his cheeks.

Zuko was such a good man, trying to help Azula even after all she had put him through. He was a good man seeing the wounds Ozai had inflicted on her. And Iroh felt shame, shame that he never really noticed Azula’s pain like he had noticed Zuko’s.

Of course, Zuko literally wore his pain on his face. But Azula was just a child too, a child warped by war and an evil man who molded her into a tool for his bidding.

Now that they were no longer fighting for survival in the Earth Kingdom, Iroh felt he owed it to his niece to be there for her. He was about to pen a letter when he heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?” he called.

Jin opened the door and made her way into the office.

“I noticed we were low on ginger, would you like me to run and get—Mr. Mushi! What’s wrong?” Jin looked at him with genuine concern.

Iroh wiped some more tears from his face and looked at Jin. “I just got a letter from my nephew. Some family troubles with his sister.”

“Is everything okay?” Jin asked.

Iroh sighed. He didn’t want to lie to Jin, who was an absolute sweetheart. He also knew he couldn’t reveal everything right now.

“I wish I could say yes, but it isn’t so. My niece has always been a troubled girl, and she recently injured herself trying to run away from home. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been there for her as I should have been.” Iroh looked at the blank piece of paper he had just pulled out. “I thought I might try and rectify that.”

“Will you be leaving?”

Iroh shook his head. “I was actually thinking of inviting her here. I think a change of scenery would be good for her. She doesn’t have many happy memories of her home.”

Jin nodded. “I would love to meet her.”

Iroh smiled at his employee. “You have a very kind heart, Jin. I’ll be writing back to my nephew now, so I’d like some privacy. And if you could go restock the ginger, that would be much appreciated.”

Jin bowed to him, Earth Kingdom style. “Of course, Mr. Mushi. And… tell Lee I say hi.”

Iroh grinned. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! My first try at an Azula redemption! I wonder how she'll react to working in a customer service job? 
> 
> Kudos and Comments are appreciated! Please let me know what you think! :)


	2. Logistics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko figures out how everything is going to work. Azula is not happy.

“It’s a terrible idea, Zuko.”

Zuko sighed and looked at Suki. “Suki, I know you don’t like it—”

“She’s a danger to herself, and everyone around her.”

“—but she needs help. Just like I needed help when I was banished.”

“You were banished for standing up for soldiers about to be sacrificed as bait, Zuko. Azula is the one who suggested burning down the Earth Kingdom. _My home._ ”

Zuko winced. “I know, but—”

“Civilians, Zuko. Not even military strongholds, the entire Earth Kingdom. She would have condemned millions of civilians to a fiery death if we didn’t stop Ozai.”

“Suki—”

“Not to mention, she imprisoned me and my girls. Stole our uniforms. Orchestrated a coup in Ba Sing Se that removed the Earth King and put the capital of the Earth Kingdom under Fire Nation rule. And you want to send her back?!”

“Suki!” Zuko shouted. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. I know about all the horrible things Azula’s done. I know how dangerous she is. But I owe it to her to _try_.” He looked up into Suki’s eyes. “She was only fourteen, Suki. She’s barely seventeen now. She’s a child.”

“You were sixteen and became Fire Lord.”

“Because I was the only option!” Zuko shouted, standing up from his chair. He placed his hands on his desk. “My father is a genocidal maniac. My sister was beaten in an Agni Kai and undergoing a mental breakdown. Uncle would have been feared and hated by the Earth Kingdom due to his career as the Dragon of the West. I had to take up that burden. And I shouldn’t have had to.”

Suki was silent. Zuko looked up at her.

“Azula is the way she is because our father molded her in his own image. She needs help. Actual, genuine help. And Uncle is offering that help.”

Suki crossed her arms, frowning. Zuko slid the letter he had received from Iroh across the desk to her.

“At least read it,” he said softly.

Suki picked up the letter and read the words that Zuko had read just a little while before.

_Dear Nephew._

_I cannot express how proud I am of you. Despite all the hardship that has come your way over the years, your heart is still as large and as tender as ever. I could not be prouder of the man you have become, a man with unquestionable integrity and honor._

_I agree with you. Azula does need help. And if it is alright, I would be happy to provide that help._

_I haven’t been there for Azula like I was for you. Like I should have been for her. Please, allow me to make it up to her._

_I believe a change of scenery might do her well. She is welcome to come stay with me in Ba Sing Se and work in the tea shop. I will keep her safe, both from external threats and herself._

_Of course, let me know if this is not feasible. I will return to the Fire Nation if you believe it is best._

_Please let Azula know how sorry I am for failing her. And please let her know that I love her very much._

_Oh, and Jin says “hello.”_

_Your loving Uncle,_

_Mushi_

Suki put the letter down. She frowned at Zuko.

“I still don’t like it.”

Zuko sighed.

“You don’t have to like it. But I think I’m gonna take him up on the offer anyway. At least once her leg’s healed.”

Suki crossed her arms. “You’ll probably need to get permission from the Earth King…”

Zuko nodded. “I’m planning on writing him a letter to explain the situation.”

“Azula’s not going to like this.”

Zuko smirked. “She doesn’t like anything I do.”

“She’ll probably need to be guarded.”

Zuko frowned. “Yeah. I’ll have to find some trustworthy people to keep an eye on her. I know Uncle will do what he can, but I have a feeling she’ll be more… difficult than I was. And he has a shop to run…”

Suki cleared her throat. Zuko looked up.

“If you’re going through with this stupid idea… I might as well help you not get yourself dethroned.”

“Suki…?”

“I’m sure some Kyoshi Warriors would be up for the job.”

Zuko brightened, then frowned again. “No taking revenge on her, Suki. I know she hurt you…”

Suki’s eyes widened. “I’m honestly offended you’d even think I would!”

Zuko held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Alright, okay, just making sure! I just know she hurt you, and the other warriors. I completely understand the resentment you or any of your girls might have.”

Suki huffed. “Alright. I’ll let you write your idiot letters.” She turned to leave. “I’ll be right outside.”

“Thanks, Suki.”

Suki nodded once, and left Zuko’s office to stand guard outside. Zuko sat down at his desk and began to write his reply.

0-0-0

Azula stewed as she lay in her infirmary bed. Her leg was wrapped in a hard cast, and her right wrist was handcuffed to the rail of the bed. Nobody was in her room with her, but she knew those infernal Kyoshi Warriors were standing guard outside.

She flexed her wrist for the millionth time. The chain of the handcuffs clinked. Azula sighed and stared at the ceiling some more.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Azula didn’t bother to answer it.

“Azula, may I come in?” asked her mother.

“Go away,” Azula drawled.

There was a pause. “Okay, dear. I love you.”

Azula sneered and looked toward the window that let the sun in. How could her mother love her if she always thought Azula was a monster?

Azula couldn’t even be sure the voice was real. She told Zuko that the hallucinations had stopped, and they had, but when it came to their mother, Azula could never be sure.

She could hear the Kyoshi Warriors muttering outside the door. Let them talk. She would show them. She may be incapacitated now, but she would show them…

0-0-0

Ursa sighed as Azula pushed her away again. She wanted to see her daughter, to apologize, to reconnect. Hindsight was 20/20, and Ursa could see that she had unintentionally hurt Azula by focusing on Zuko.

Azula may have been favored by Ozai, but that was even more reason she needed to be protected. Anyone who caught that bastard’s attention was in danger.

“Don’t take it too harshly, Lady Ursa,” said one of the Kyoshi Warriors. Rin, Ursa thought her name was. “She’s just like that”

Ursa sighed. “If I had been a better mother, maybe she wouldn’t be.”

Rin glanced to her fellow Kyoshi Warrior guard, unsure what to say. Ursa didn’t want to distract them. She bowed to the two warriors, then turned and made her way to her quarters.

Even after all the mistakes the two of them had made, Azula was still Ursa’s baby girl. Was it so wrong to want to make sure she was alright?

0-0-0

King Kuei was having a pleasant day until the message came. As soon as the messenger announced an “urgent message from the Fire Nation,” Kuei felt his nerves freeze up. Did something happen to disturb the peace that was still so young? Did Fire Lord Zuko change his mind about something they had previously agreed on? Is Zuko even still the Fire Lord? Did something happen to him?

Thoughts rushed through his mind as he held the unopened letter, before Bosco grunted next to him. Kuei turned to look at his furry friend.

“Oh, silly me. You’re right, Bosco, I should open the letter before worrying!” Kuei tore open the seal and began to read.

His face froze in an awkward position once he read what the Fire Lord was requesting.

_To His Majesty, Earth King Kuei, 52nd of his Dynasty, Sovereign of the Earth Kingdom:_

_Your Majesty,_

_Please forgive my urgent letter. I have a grave matter to discuss, and I figured I ought to let you know as soon as possible._

_My sister, Princess Azula, was captured recently trying to flee the Fire Nation. Azula has suffered greatly since the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai and her own defeat at the end of the Hundred Year War. It pains me to see her this way._

_My Uncle recently expressed his wishes to help her rehabilitate. He offered to let her live with him and work in his tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon. He thinks it would be good for her, to learn to live simply._

_I realize how great a request this is. I am fully aware of the pain Azula put the Earth Kingdom through, as well as the pain she gave you personally. If she were allowed to live with my Uncle, she would be under the watchful eye of the Dragon of the West, as well as Kyoshi Warriors handpicked from my personal guard, to keep her in check. If you feel that additional security is needed from your own resources, I completely understand._

_I only ask that you allow Azula this opportunity to heal from the wounds of the war. Despite all the wrong she did, she was still a child, influenced by our father. I humbly ask you to please consider it._

_Please let me know your judgement on the matter._

_Honorably,_

_Fire Lord Zuko_

Azula? In Ba Sing Se? Was the Fire Lord _insane?_

It was one thing to allow Iroh, the Dragon of the West, to continue to operate his tea shop in the Upper Ring. Iroh helped take Ba Sing Se _back_ from the Fire Nation, after all. But to allow Azula in?

Azula? Who led a bloodless coup against Kuei in his own court? Who accomplished at fourteen what generals and warlords couldn’t do at forty? Who commanded the Dai Li with a will even more iron and fearsome than Long Feng, the longtime head of the secret organization?

_That_ Azula?

Although… both General Iroh and Fire Lord Zuko showed that change was possible. And Kuei did allow the Dai Li to return to their duties, after purging the leaders who followed Azula and making the rest swear loyalty to the crown. And the world was at peace, and becoming more peaceful every day…

Plus, she would be heavily guarded. And Kuei could add to the number of people making sure she behaved. And, she would be cut off from the Fire Nation, unable to rally an army to her side like she had two years prior.

Kuei thought about it. Maybe it would do some good to allow Zuko his request. He looked over to Bosco.

“Well, Bosco? What do you think?”

Bosco sniffed at the letter, then grunted happily at the familiar smell of the warm firebender. Kuei looked back at the letter.

“Yes, I think so too.”

0-0-0

Azula’s mother tried to come every day. Every day Azula sent her away.

One day, after Azula’s mother had already tried her luck (and gotten turned away), Azula heard another knock on her door.

“Didn’t I tell you to go away, already? Take a hint!” said Azula.

The door opened, and Azula’s mother did not step in. She glared at her visitor.

“Zuzu. Finally decided to visit your dear little sister?”

Zuko had the audacity to look ashamed. He bowed his head, directing his words to the floor. “Sorry about that. I wanted to see you, but I also wanted to give you space, and I have lots of Fire Lord duties, and, um…”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Two years as Fire Lord and you still can barely string a coherent sentence together without rambling? Disappointing.”

Instead of getting angry at her like he used to, Zuko simply looked at her sadly. “Are the staff treating you well?”

Azula sniffed. “They bring me food and leave me alone.”

“Do you get bathroom breaks?” asked Zuko, looking at her shackled wrist.

“Does it look like I soiled the bed, Dum-dum?”

Zuko cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. Right.” He stood awkwardly, as if he wanted to shrink in on himself. In his Fire Lord regalia, he looked like a child playing dress-up.

“What do you want, Zuzu?”

Zuko looked her in the eye and cleared his throat again. “Um, well, I’ve been in contact with Uncle…”

At the mention of their uncle Azula rolls her eyes again.

“He feels bad about everything that happened… about how Father raised us, about not looking after you.”

Azula winced, barely, before schooling her look into simmering anger again. Zuko noticed it, and Azula knew that Zuko noticed it, but neither of them acknowledged this fact.

“He… he wants to invite you to Ba Sing Se.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. This was… unexpected.

“My banishment was the best thing that ever happened to me for my growth… maybe a change of scenery would help you as well…”

“So, you’re banishing me?”

Zuko’s good eye widened. “Wha—no! I’m… I’m extending Uncle’s invitation.”

Azula sniffed and turned away from her brother, putting on an air of indifference. “No thanks.”

“N— No thanks? What do you mean, no thanks?”

“I mean I don’t think spending quality time with His Royal Tea-Loving Kookiness is going to make me all mushy hearted like you, Zuzu.”

Zuko’s brow furrowed. “Do you want to go back to the asylum, Azula? Or prison?” he growled. “Is that really what you want?”

Azula’s eyes widened. Before she could even think of a retort, Zuko continued on.

“Because you’re not giving me a lot of choice, here! I… Azula, I really do want to help you. I don’t want you to feel like you have to be perfect or a weapon anymore. I want to be a family, a real family. But I can’t do that if you don’t help me.”

Azula glared at Zuko. “You overthrow Father, take _my_ throne, and you dare to say you want to be a family?”

“Father was evil, Azula. He twisted us both for his own purposes. And you weren’t healthy…”

“I was named Fire Lord, Zuzu. ME!”

“You cut off your bangs, banished the staff, and started seeing hallucinations!”

“I SHOULD BE THE ONE ON THE THRONE, NOT YOU!” shouted Azula.

“YOU. WERE. SICK.”

Azula flinched as Zuko roared at her. He stood there, chest heaving, a drop of sweat making its way down his forehead. He looked at the ground.

“You were sick, Azula. Father poisoned your mind. Like he poisoned _my_ mind. Made us do _his_ will.” Zuko looked up at Azula, tears welling in his eyes. “Please. You aren’t healthy. And that’s okay. There’s no shame in that. But please, please, help me to help you get better.”

Azula stared at Zuko, something clutching at her heart. No, she couldn’t show weakness. _She_ was the prodigy, _she_ was the one Ozai named heir. And yet, some tiny, long-buried part of her was stirred by Zuko’s words.

No. She could not be weak.

Azula scoffed and turned away from her brother once again. “It seems like you’ve made up your mind.”

“What?” asked Zuko.

“Go ahead. Ship me off to Uncle if you want to get rid of me so bad. Who am I to disobey the will of the Fire Lord?”

“Azula, it’s not—” Zuko stopped, realizing that this was as close to a “yes” as he was going to get. “Thank you, Azula.”

He bowed slightly to her, and then turned to make his exit. He stopped at the door.

“Oh, and… I know it’s hard… but Mom really wants to see you. She’s really worried about you.” He looked like he was about to say something more, before he stopped and left the room.

Azula was alone with her thoughts again. She remembered what her mother said on the day of that fateful Agni Kai.

_“I love you, Azula. I really do.”_

Azula grit her teeth and turned her head to the window, trying to ignore the burning tears in her eyes. Lies, all of it lies.

Who could ever love a monster?


	3. The Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iroh reveals some important information.

Iroh sat at his desk reading over his mail. It was early morning, and Jin had not even arrived to help open the Jasmine Dragon yet. He set aside the expected bills, and turned his attention to three very important-looking letters.

The first one came from the Earth Palace.

_Dear General Iroh,_

_His Majesty, Earth King Kuei, 52nd of his Dynasty, Sovereign of the Earth Kingdom, hereby grants you permission to host the war criminal known as Princess Azula in your care._

_This permission rests on three conditions._

_CONDITION THE FIRST: You must submit to being observed by the Dai Li while the princess is under your care._

_CONDITION THE SECOND: The princess must not be allowed to roam unsupervised. Either you or a guard must accompany her in public at all times._

_CONDITION THE THIRD: Upon arrival in Ba Sing Se, both you and the princess must swear to never partake in any activities with the goal of overthrowing or destabilizing the Crown._

_Should these conditions be satisfactorily met, Princess Azula may stay in your care._

_Please give advance notice before the Princess’ arrival. She must arrive by airship, and first be brought to the Earth Palace to forswear any sedition in the sight of the Earth King, as will you._

_Regards,_

_General How,_

_General Sung_

_General Fu_

_General Liang_

_General Shao_

_Earth King Kuei_

The letter from the Earth Palace had been signed by the Council of Five and the Earth King. Iroh didn’t like Azula being called a “war criminal.” As much trouble as she caused, she never did anything that could be classified as a “war crime.”

Iroh carefully put it aside, and opened the first letter from Royal Caldera City.

_Dear Uncle,_

_Azula has begrudgingly agreed to stay with you in Ba Sing Se. There is some time before her leg is healed, but once she is able to walk without crutches, we will make preparations to head to you._

_Azula seems to feel as if I am trying to “ship her off.” I’m not sure how to straighten that out, or if that’s something I need to let her realize for herself._

_I will be sending three Kyoshi Warriors with her to keep an eye on her. I’m still deciding, but I think it will be Suki, Rin, and Arna. Arna has the extra benefit of being a waterbender, so she may come in handy if Azula tries to set anything on fire._

_I hope everything is going well with you._

_Love,_

_Lee_

Iroh nodded at the short, but very practical letter. Zuko was clearly taking this very seriously. He turned his attention to a second letter that came from the Fire Palace. He recognized Ursa’s thin, curling calligraphy.

_Dear Iroh,_

_Thank you so much for looking out for Azula._

_I’ve been trying to see her, but she keeps sending me away. It hurts, but I know I deserve it. I haven’t been enough of a mother to her, and she is suffering because of it._

_Please take care of my little girl. I’m so scared for her. I truly want her to recover, but it seems so bleak._

_With love,_

_Ursa_

Iroh made a silent promise to make sure Azula would improve. He owed it to her as her family.

He heard the front doors open and shut, and knew Jin was likely coming in to help open up for the day. Iroh left his office and went out to meet her.

“Ah! Jin! How are you this fine day?”

Jin smiled at him. “I’m doing quite well, Mr. Mushi! How are you?”

“I just received splendid news! My niece will be joining us here at the Jasmine Dragon!”

“That’s great! When will she be coming?”

“Not for a few weeks, I believe. She’s still healing from a broken ankle.”

“Oh, that’s awful! I hope she gets well soon!”

Iroh looked at Jin. She was such a sweet, hardworking girl, and he knew putting her in close proximity to Azula would likely cause her trouble. He wanted to be honest with her.

Honestly, this was a while in the making. He spent many nights carefully thinking it over, and he came to the conclusion that it was only fair that he tell Jin exactly what they were getting into—and an opportunity to bow out if she so desired.

“Jin, if you could come back to my office, please.”

Jin’s smile faltered. “Is something wrong?”

“I just have something that I wish to tell you in confidence. I wouldn’t want anyone overhearing.”

Jin nodded, still looking unsure of herself. She followed Iroh into his office.

“What is it you wanted to tell me?”

Iroh sighed and sat down at his desk, while Jin remained standing. “First of all, I must insist that nothing I tell you is repeated outside of this room. Do I have your word, Jin?”

Jin shifted uncomfortably, but she looked Iroh in the eye. “I promise.”

“Thank you. Now, first things first; do you know which nation I am from?”

Jin blinked, then looked away sheepishly. “Um… I had a suspicion you and Lee were from the Fire Nation…”

Iroh nodded. “My nephew mentioned what he did at the Fire Fountain. Thank you for your discretion, by the way. Suspecting you knew that secret and kept it is part of why I decided to trust you with what I am about to tell you.”

Iroh looked at Jin and took a deep breath. “My name is not really Mushi. It is Iroh. And my nephew is not named Lee. His name is Zuko.”

Jin cocked her head. “Wow, those names are really similar to the Dragon of the West and the current Fire Lord.”

Iroh looked at her, but stayed silent. He could see the moment Jin came to the realization.

“Wait— No! No way! You’re… He’s… What?!”

“I know this is a lot to process,” said Iroh.

“You—you’re the Dragon of the West!”

“The very same.”

“You— Lee is the Fire Lord! Lee is Fire Lord Zuko!” Jin clamped her hands over her mouth in shock. “I went on a date with Fire Lord Zuko. I _kissed_ Fire Lord Zuko!”

“He did tell me his night went nicely.”

“I made the Fire Lord _juggle!_ In a restaurant! Oh!” Jin moaned and flopped into a chair on the other side of Iroh’s desk, head in her hands. “I called the Fire Lord cute!”

“I’m sure he found it flattering.”

Jin looked up from her hands. “Why are you telling me this?”

Iroh gave Jin a serious look. “Because my niece is coming to join us.”

“Your niece…?”

“Princess Azula.”

Jin’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “The Conqueror of Ba Sing Se?”

“Yes,” said Iroh.

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Iroh sighed. He pushed Zuko’s first letter, the one that inspired him to offer Azula to stay with him, towards Jin. “Here is why.”

Jin scanned the letter, mouthing the words silently as she read. Once she finished, she stared at Iroh with wide eyes.

“I told this to Zuko already, but I haven’t been there for my niece when she needed me. When my brother was molding her into a weapon. I want to help her heal from her wounds.”

“Are you sure you can do that?” Jin asked. “Heal her?”

Iroh shook his head. “No. I am not sure. But I have to try. Just like I tried with Zuko.”

Jin nodded in response.

“I am telling you this because you deserve to know the truth of what you are getting into. And, if you wish, you may leave and find employment elsewhere. I completely understand if you don’t want to get swept up in my family drama.”

Jin’s eyes widened even more, if that was possible. “Leave?”

“Only if you want to. Princess Azula will have trained guards keeping an eye on her to make sure she behaves. Plus, I will be watching over her. I can handle her if she tries anything violent. I truly don’t think you will be in any danger. But, if you feel uncomfortable, I will not hold it against you if you want to leave. In fact, I will write a glowing letter of recommendation, if you’d like!”

Jin shook her head furiously. “No! I mean, I love working here! And, I get to see the Upper Ring! And this job helps me to support my parents! And—”

“Jin, please, calm down,” said Iroh, making a soothing gesture with his hands. “I am not forcing you to do anything. I am very happy to hear how much you enjoy working here. If you change your mind at any point, let me know. I want you to be comfortable working here.”

Jin nodded. “Thank you, sir!”

“And another thing. If you could continue to call me ‘Mushi’ in public, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Jin nodded again. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you very much. Now, I believe we should begin to get ready for the day, hm?”


	4. The Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula leaves the Fire Nation. Her family sees her off.

The wait to heal was agonizing for Azula. As the bones in her ankle slowly mended together, she had to do _physical therapy_ so that she would be back to waking without a crutch sooner rather than later.

Although, physical therapy was still better than the therapy she had to do in the asylum. At least she got results.

In hindsight, jumping over the rail of a ship, on land or at sea, was a stupid idea. Why did she think she could make the landing unharmed?

After six weeks of healing and boredom and sending her mother away and wishing Zuzu would leave her alone too, the doctor _finally_ made her a special boot so that she could walk on her mostly-healed ankle.

At least Zuzu had dropped off some books. If she didn’t have anything to do, she might have gone insane.

Azula knew she’d be shipped off to Uncle soon. She’d have to make a plan for what she’d do once she arrived…

0-0-0

“Are you sure she’ll be okay, Zuko?”

“She’ll be fine, Mom,” said Zuko. “She’ll be with Uncle the whole time.”

“With all due respect, Lady Ursa,” said Suki, straightening her armor, “you should probably be more worried about everyone else being okay around Azula.”

Ursa sank into a chair and looked at the ground. “I apologize, Suki.”

Suki made her way over to Ursa and placed her hand on Ursa’s shoulder. “It’s alright. But you have to know that Azula made her own choices. You aren’t responsible for everything she’s done, or everything she turned out to be.”

Ursa nodded sadly. “I know. Still, I’m her mother. I should have been there for her, and knowing I wasn’t… it hurts. It hurts so much.”

Suki patted Ursa’s shoulder. She turned to Zuko. “Is Azula prepared yet?”

“She should be,” said Zuko.

“Can I… can I see her? Before you go?”

Zuko looked at his mother with a soft gaze. “Of course, Mom.”

0-0-0

The airship to Ba Sing Se was waiting in the palace’s airfield.

Azula stared up at it. She sat in a wheelchair, even though she could technically walk, to keep unnecessary weight off of her ankle. Her wrists were handcuffed in front of her, and three Kyoshi Warriors stood behind her. She was already at such a disadvantage, but if she dared to try anything, they would chi-block her without a second thought.

Zuzu and her mother approached Azula.

“A little party to send me off? Zuzu, you shouldn’t have,” drawled Azula.

Zuko winced, but he ignored her words.

“I hope you have a pleasant time with Uncle, Azula,” said Zuko.

_As if this is just a nice vacation and not an attempt to get rid of me,_ thought Azula.

Ursa stepped up to Azula. “Please, stay safe Azula.”

Azula sniffed and turned away.

Ursa looked at the ground sadly. “I hope this is beneficial to you. I— I’ll miss you.”

Azula continued to pointedly ignore her mother.

“I love you, Azula,” said Ursa. She bent down to embrace her daughter, leaving a soft kiss on Azula’s forehead. Azula grimaced, but did not pull away.

“You’ll have to swear to the Earth King that you won’t try to overthrow him,” said Zuko. “Again.”

“And if I refuse?” asked Azula.

Zuko’s face paled. “The Dai Li are still active in Ba Sing Se, Azula. And they’re loyal to the Earth King. He purged all the officials and agents who followed you. You don’t want to get on his bad side.”

Azula didn’t like that. She inwardly wished she hadn’t dismissed her Dai Li agents, that she had some kind of hidden ally in the Earth Kingdom. This was… not ideal.

Outwardly, however, Azula simply scoffed and schooled her face into a disinterested expression. “Whatever.”

“Please, Azula, _do not_ antagonize the Earth King. It will not end well for you. He has a much stronger hold on power than he did when you were last there.”

“Fine, Zuzu. No need to nag.”

Zuko’s right eye twitched, but he nodded once. “As long as you know what’s waiting for you. Farewell, Azula. I’ll… see you around, I guess.”

Azula exhaled through her nose, almost a laugh. “Sure, Zuzu. See you around.”

Suki took the handles of Azula’s wheelchair and wheeled her onto the airship. She turned back to Zuko.

“I’ll see you around, Zuko. I’ll make sure to write.”

Azula grimaced. _No doubt reporting my every move to His Broodiness._

Zuko waved. “Suki, Rin, Arna, it’s been an honor. Take care of yourselves.”

The way Zuko sounded much more relaxed around those Earth Kingdom peasants was not lost on Azula.

With the princess and the warriors loaded into the airship, the ramp was retracted and the ship took off. Zuko and his mother watched it float into the sky and turn towards Ba Sing Se.

Ursa clutched her chest. “I hope she’ll be alright.”

Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder. “She will be. Uncle will make sure of it. And she’s _Azula_ , she knows how to survive.”


	5. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula arrives in Ba Sing Se.

Suki couldn’t be happier to finally get off of the airship. The atmosphere was tense and strained with the three warriors, the princess, and the nervous crew.

Of course, any proximity to Azula was tense, but at least Iroh would be in Ba Sing Se to help take the edge off things.

Suki remembered when she first heard of the famous Dragon of the West. Stories came with fishermen and traders from the Mainland, telling of a fearsome conqueror besieging Ba Sing Se. After two years, he even managed to breach the Outer Wall.

And then he suddenly withdrew. No one knew why, but the Earth Kingdom celebrated.

Who knew that the Dragon of the West was such a kind, gentle man? Suki got to know him well during his term as Interim Fire Lord when Zuko and Azula went to find their mother. He was a master tea maker, and a shrewd politician; Suki had never seen anyone maneuver through the nonsense that nobles brought to Zuko with as much grace and finesse as Iroh.

Suki remembered asking Iroh, out of curiosity, why he abandoned the siege. His face had fallen, and he told Suki how he lost his only son when they breached the wall, and that was the catalyst for him to reexamine everything.

Suki felt for him. She couldn’t imagine the pain of a parent outliving their child. Iroh said he regretted many things, but the two greatest regrets were that he allowed Lu Ten into battle that day, and that it took his son’s death for him to see the evil of the war with unclouded eyes.

She hoped Iroh was doing well. She knew he was eager to get back to his tea shop once Zuko returned. She knew from his letter that he felt like he failed Azula. She hoped he wasn’t beating himself up too much.

The airship docked, and the ramp lowered. Suki took out the key to the handcuffs. They had kept Azula restrained lest she try to escape during the flight, but now they had to give her limited freedom. She couldn’t help in her uncle’s tea shop if she were constantly shackled, after all.

Suki unlocked Azula’s handcuffs. “No funny business, Princess.”

Azula smirked, and Suki couldn’t help but feel tense and unsettled. “Wouldn’t _dream_ of it, Peasant.”

Suki frowned at the jab. Her parents may have been humble peasants, making their living by catching fish and selling it at the market, but how did that make them any less than Azula? At least they loved Suki. At least they wrote to her. Suki may not have had much on Kyoshi Island, but she knew she was rich in ways Azula wasn’t.

Maybe Iroh was right. Maybe working in a tea shop, like a peasant, _would_ help Azula. Maybe.

Suki wheeled Azula down the ramp, Rin and Arna in step behind her. At the bottom, she could see Iroh with a gentle smile.

“Ah, my niece! Welcome! How was your flight over?”

Azula rolled her eyes. “No need for pleasantries, Uncle. Let’s just get this over with.”

Iroh’s smile didn’t falter. As Suki descended the ramp with Azula, she could see more people behind Iroh.

The Earth King, and his Council of Five, stood there, guarded by a frankly ridiculous number of Dai Li agents. Suki fought the urge to roll her eyes. Sure, Azula was a force to be reckoned with, but did she really warrant thirty elite earthbenders?

The Earth King stepped forward, opened a scroll, and cleared his throat. “Princess Azula, General Iroh” he said, his voice shaking. “Do you swear to abandon any and all plans you may have of sedition, violent overthrow, coup d’états, and the like against the Earth King, the Earth Kingdom government, and the Dai Li? Do you swear to obey the laws of the Earth Kingdom, and to submit to the authority of the Earth King?”

“I do,” said Iroh, calmly.

Azula wrinkled her nose. “I do,” she grunted.

Suki could imagine that Azula didn’t like the idea of submitting to _anyone_ , let alone the Earth King, very much.

The Earth King nodded, and turned to his council. “You are witnesses of this agreement. Should the princess break her word, she will be subject to the harshest punishments allowed under Earth Kingdom law.”

Azula furrowed her brows, and even Iroh looked uneasy. Hopefully this would keep Azula in check.

Hopefully.

Iroh turned to the Earth King and bowed. “Your Majesty, if you are finished, I humbly ask permission to take my niece back to my tea shop.”

The Earth King nodded a little too eagerly. “Y-yes. Of course! Please. Take her.”

Iroh bowed again and walked over to Suki to take the wheelchair from her. Suki raised an eyebrow, but Iroh nodded. He wanted to push Azula himself.

“The crew will send the luggage to the apartment, and the carriage is only a short way away. Will you be able to get in?”

Azula sighed. “I am allowed to walk in this boot, just not for extended periods of time.”

Iroh nodded. “I’ll make sure you’ll be comfortable. Until your leg heals, I can have you take the counter. You can sit down while doing that.”

Azula wrinkled her nose again, but did not say anything.

Iroh led them to the carriage, and offered a hand to Azula to help her into the carriage. She ignored it and limped inside herself. Iroh sighed as Suki folded the wheelchair, stowing it in the storage area of the carriage. Together, they made their way to the Jasmine Dragon.

0-0-0

Jin couldn’t believe that Princess Azula was so short.

She had expected Azula to be taller, and more powerful-looking. Instead, she was small. Tiny, one might say. _This_ was the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se?

She was barely five feet tall.

“Jin, I would like to introduce you to my niece. Princess Azula, this is Jin. She’s an employee here.”

Jin tried to put on a smile for the princess. She bowed. “Hello, Princess. It’s nice to meet you.”

Azula sniffed, and did not reply.

“Azula, be nice,” chided Iroh. “You’re going to be working together.”

Azula somehow managed to look down at Jin, despite being shorter. “Hello.”

“Why don’t you go into my office and take a seat. Take the weight off of your leg. Jin, could you bring some of the uniforms, please?”

Jin nodded, heading to the storage area. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see three girls dressed like Avatar Kyoshi enter the shop. The one with the short bob looked familiar— _Suki,_ Jin recalled. She had met Suki before, sans makeup, when she first interviewed for the Jasmine Dragon.

Jin went back through the kitchen and into the storage area. There were some extra uniforms there, in a range of sizes. Jin picked out some of the smallest ones, and then headed over to Iroh’s office.

 _This is so weird,_ Jin thought. Her boss was the Dragon of the West. His niece, the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se, was going to be her coworker. And apparently, Jin kissed the Fire Lord on a date (though he wasn’t the Fire Lord at that point, but it was still weird to think about).

She didn’t have a crush on Lee—Zuko—anymore, but it was still weird to think about.

Jin entered the room and immediately felt suffocated by the tension. Azula sat in a chair across from her uncle, glaring. The Kyoshi Warriors stood around her, tensed for battle. Only Iroh seemed relaxed as he made a pot of tea.

“I hope you enjoy this, Princess Azula. I know you always had a taste of chamomile.”

Iroh poured the tea into a cup, which Azula looked at but did not take.

“It’s perfectly safe, Princess.”

Azula slowly brought the cup to her mouth, while Jin frowned. Iroh kept calling her “Princess Azula.” That would be a little hard to explain to the customers.

“Um, Mr. Mushi?”

Azula cocked an eyebrow, but Iroh smiled at Jin. “Ah, Jin! Thank you for bringing the uniforms. You can set them down on my desk right here.”

Jin put down the folded uniforms on the spot where Iroh patted. She looked at him with uncertainty.

“Mr. Mushi?” she asked again.

“Yes?”

“I noticed, uh, you keep calling the princess, um, ‘Princess.’ Shouldn’t she have an alias, like you? For safety?”

Iroh rubbed his beard. “Yes, that would probably be best.”

“Great. So not only am I giving up my freedom, but I’m giving up my name as well?”

“It’s for the best, dear niece. Many in Ba Sing Se still resent the name ‘Princess Azula.’ It would be easier for you to go by a pseudonym, like I do.”

“It better not be as ridiculous as ‘Mushi,’” scoffed Azula.

“That was your brother’s fault. But, now I’m stuck with it. Now, what would be a fitting Earth Kingdom name for you?”

Azula sat back, arms crossed. “Azula is fine.”

“No, it really isn’t,” said Iroh. “It would bring you unwanted attention, and someone may even try to attack you.”

“Then I’ll deal with them.”

“Giving the Earth King an excuse to punish you.”

Jin tapped her chin with her finger. “How about Mianju?”

Both Azula and Iroh turned to face her. “What?”

“Mianju. For your name. Nobody will think much of it, and it sounds nice.”

Azula closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the chair. Iroh rubbed his beard some more, thinking.

“It sounds like a lovely name, Jin. Thank you.”

“Fine,” Azula grumbled. “Whatever.”

Jin bowed to them. She glanced over at the Kyoshi Warriors.

“Hello, Jin,” Suki said as she waved.

Jin smiled and waved back. She considered them. “Are you guys guarding the princess?”

Suki rolled her eyes. “Yep.”

“I’m just curious, will you be wearing your makeup all the time?” Jin asked. “No offense! I just think it might attract unwanted attention to you guys!”

“Don’t worry, we figured we’d be going plainclothes once we got here. The general public won’t even notice us.”

“I like your thinking, Jin!” said Iroh. “It looks like I made the right choice hiring you!”

Jin blushed slightly at the praise. “Aw, thank you!”

Iroh leaned forward at his desk. “Now, I am going to go over some things with Pr— with _Mianju_ ,” he said, using the alias they agreed on. “If you could look after the shop while I do that?”

“Of course! I’ll be right outside, if you need anything!” Jin waved to the group and tried to pretend that she didn’t feel Azula’s glare on her back.

Work was about to get a lot more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name "Mianju" is inspired by a name from the story _Retroactive_ by Loopy. Fair warning, that story is an AU and much, MUCH darker than this one. I absolutely loved it. 
> 
> _Retroactive_ can be read [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/462411/chapters/797323). 
> 
> Also, Jin mentions she met Suki before. That's in my story, _A Friendly Match_ , which can be read [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25055182). It explains a bit what Jin is doing at the Jasmine Dragon.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! More to come! Please let me know what you think in the comments! :)


	6. Azula's First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula deals with the general public for the first time. Suki helps her out, a little. Somewhere, an old enemy is plotting something.

Long Feng looked around the dusty bar.

A little over two years before he had been disgraced, removed from his position by an invader. He had been the true power in Ba Sing Se, he had held the walled city in his hands.

And a _fourteen-year-old_ girl had taken from him what he had built!

Of course, the child Avatar and his posse had a hand in his downfall. Everything would have been fine if it weren’t for those meddling kids and that dumb bison!

But Long Feng was nothing if not patient. He still knew the trade secrets of the Dai Li. He still had contacts. He still knew how to pull the strings.

The first of his guests came through the doors of the bar and made their way over to him.

Long Feng grinned. Like the phoenix in his name, he would rise again.

0-0-0

Azula was given Zuko’s old room when they had lived together. She began getting ready for the day.

She hated everything.

She hated the wardrobe that she placed her uniforms in. She hated that she had to _wear_ a uniform. She hated how green everything was. At least her Dai Li clothes had been cute and comfortable. The Jasmine Dragon uniform was itchy and unflattering, but Uncle said she would have to wear it. Azula didn’t know why she didn’t argue the point more, but she had been tired and let Uncle have his win.

She hated the peasant girl that Uncle said would be her _coworker_. She hated Uncle for suggesting this. She hated Zuzu for making her do this. She hated her mother for… for so many things.

Just… everything.

Uncle had her helping to open the shop in the morning before lunch, and then sit at the counter and take people’s payment. She’d get seven silver Earth Kingdom pieces a day for payment. Plebeian’s work.

She hated it.

“Ah, good morning, my niece! Tea?” asked Iroh as she limped into the living area.

Azula rolled her eyes. “No thank you, Uncle. I think I’ll be sick of tea soon enough.”

“Sick of tea?” said Iroh. “That’s like being sick of breathing!”

Azula rolled her eyes and grabbed a fruit from the basket on the counter. She bit into it and leaned on the counter. Iroh poured a cup of tea for himself and savored the smell.

“I hope you’re excited for your first day of work,” said Iroh.

Azula aggressively bit the fruit she was eating.

“I think you’ll find it quite rewarding.”

“Please stop talking, Uncle.”

Iroh sipped his tea. “As you wish.”

After they finished their breakfast, they walked the short distance to the Jasmine Dragon. Iroh unlocked the doors, and made his way inside.

“Jin will be coming in soon. If you could just open the shutters on the windows? Then you can sit behind the counter.”

Azula heaved a sigh, but did as her uncle asked. Once the windows were opened, she went over to the counter and sat behind it. Iroh followed her, and stood on the customer’s side of the counter.

“Here is the menu,” said Iroh, pointing. “The price for each item is right next to it. Every time you accept money, I would like you to record it here.” Iroh tapped a notebook that was already half-filled with dates and scribbled amounts. “This will be a record of how much money we are making. I will count up the total at the end of the day, and make sure everything is in order.”

Azula narrowed her eyes at the notebook. It would be so easy to snatch a few coins from every purchase, and fudge the numbers so that the total on the paper and the amount Uncle counted would match. It was _too_ easy. What kind of a fool was Uncle, putting her in charge of transactions?

She sighed. There would be no point for her to steal money. She was trapped with Uncle, under the watchful eye of the Kyoshi Warriors and the Dai Li. Even if she found a place to hide the pilfered coins, escaping to do anything with them would be extremely difficult.

Everything was so much simpler when people just feared her.

Jin walked into the tea shop. “Good morning, Mr. Mushi! Pr— I mean, Mianju!”

Azula scowled at the stupid name she was given. By an Earth peasant, no less.

“Jin! Lovely to see you this morning! Could you please begin setting the tables? Thank you very much!”

Azula watched Jin take the chairs off of the round tables and set them on the floor. Uncle helped. She knew she wasn’t being asked to help because of her ankle, but she tried to pretend it was because of her station.

It wasn’t working.

Azula glared in disgust at the matching uniforms she, Uncle, and Jin were wearing. She could still hardly believe that she had sunk so low. What would Father think?

Well, Father had his bending taken away by a bald, twelve-year-old vegetarian, so Azula didn’t have to care what he thought. All her humiliations, at least she didn’t have to endure _that_. At least she still had her bending, and her honor.

Iroh approached Azula. “There are other employees that will be coming in, but only Jin knows who you really are. Don’t let anything slip.”

Azula raised her eyebrow. “And why does dear Jin know who I am?”

Iroh sighed. “I needed at least one person to confide in. A secret can be a heavy burden, niece.”

Azula wondered if Iroh had finally gone senile. How hard could keeping secrets be? She’s certainly done it enough in her life.

Jin approached the counter. “So, uh, Mianju, I look forward to working with you!”

Azula narrowed her eyes. Jin smiled sweetly at her, but Azula knew that she must feel apprehensive.

“I’m sure you won’t be by the time this day is over,” drawled Azula.

Iroh shot her a look, before turning to Jin. “Could you please go collect the mail?”

“Of course, Mr. Mushi!” Jin bounced off to the mailbox.

Iroh turned to Azula, his eyes soft. “I know how hard this is for you, but I must ask to treat your coworkers with kindness.”

Azula scoffed and looked down at the menu, pretending to study it. Iroh shook his head.

This was already shaping up to be a long day.

0-0-0

Suki was curious to see what Azula would get up to. She arrived at the shop precisely when it opened, and sat in a corner near the counter to keep an eye on Azula. Iroh provided her with a cup of tea, and Suki set about her task.

There wasn’t much to do. Azula sat glumly at the counter, scowling at everything. To be honest, Suki almost hoped Azula would try something. The scene before her was so… normal.

Customers slowly came into the shop. It was only midmorning, and the shop wouldn’t be full until the lunch rush. The clientele at the moment were mostly older Upper Ring denizens, playing Pai Sho and enjoying the taste of Iroh’s tea. As far as Suki could see, she, Jin, Azula, and Iroh’s other employees were the only ones younger than sixty.

Suki felt the hairs on her neck prickle and took another sip of the warm tea. Azula seemed to shift in her seat. Suki knew that both of them were aware of the Dai Li’s presence. There were no agents in sight, but they were _somewhere_ , and they were watching.

Some of the patrons approached Azula to pay. Suki feigned nonchalance, but kept her ear turned to the conversation.

“That will be… seven copper pieces,” said Azula.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” said the old man, handing Azula his payment.

“What did you call me?”

Suki wrinkled her nose. Partially because the man thought he could just call any young girl “sweetheart,” partially because Azula sounded like she was about to start something, and partially because she realized she just felt empathy with _Azula_.

“Don’t give me that look, dollface! C’mon, let’s see a smile!”

Suki gave her head a subtle shake, and remembered the Girl Code. No matter what, no matter how much you may hate another girl, you always did three things for her, without question. Share sanitary products for menstruation. Hold back her hair if she was throwing up.

And protect her from creepy men.

“Why you little—”

Azula could certainly handle the creep, but part of Suki’s duty was to protect Azula from herself. And Suki knew that whatever Azula was going to do, it would make things just as hard for herself as it would to the creep. Suki stood up and walked over to the counter.

“Excuse me, sir?” she asked the man.

Azula was beginning to stand up, fist clenched. Both she and the man looked over to Suki.

“Yes?”

Suki smiled sweetly. “It’s not polite to call girls you don’t know by pet names. Especially girls who are so much younger than you.”

The man raised his eyebrow and stepped back. “Pardon me?”

Suki widened her smile to be just a tiny bit unsettling. “No, I don’t think I will.”

Azula raised an eyebrow, looking very confused.

“You paid for your tea. Run along,” Suki said, making a shooing motion with her hand.

“Well I— I’d like to speak to your manager, young lady!”

Suki chuckled. “I don’t work here. But I’m sure the owner of this fine establishment would just _love_ to hear how you were talking to his niece.”

The man glanced at Azula, before looking back at Suki. “I was just giving her a compliment!”

“It’s degrading. And you aren’t owed a smile. Now, I think you should be on your way.”

Azula glared at Suki. “What are you—” she whispered.

“Now see here, young lady—” began the old man.

“Is there a problem?” asked Iroh, gliding out from the kitchen and approaching the counter.

The old man pointed at Suki. “This young lady is harassing me for no reason!”

Suki crossed her arms. “I didn’t like the way he was speaking to Az—to Mianju,” she said. “She didn’t like it much, either.”

Iroh stroked his beard. “Mr. Vo, I must ask that you treat my employees—and your fellow customers—with respect.”

Mr. Vo opened and closed his mouth, trying to find something to say. “I was merely complementing the girl.”

Iroh glanced at Azula, then at Suki. Suki shook her head.

“I trust the word of my niece and her friend if they say they were made to feel uncomfortable by your comments,” said Iroh. “I must ask you to leave now, the line is being held up.”

Red crept across Mr. Vo’s face as he huffed, turned away, and stomped out of the Jasmine Dragon. If the word “contempt” could be a verb, then Mr. Vo would be the best contempter of all.

Iroh stepped closer to Azula. “Are you alright, niece?”

“I’m _fine_ , Uncle,” Azula snapped.

Iroh simply nodded. He pointed at the notebook.

“Remember to record the amounts,” said Iroh. He grinned at Azula, then at Suki, and made his way back into the kitchen.

Azula sighed and glanced at Suki. Suki made her way back to her table, and sat down. Azula continued to look at her with a confused glance, but the next customer got Azula’s attention and paid for their tea.

Soon enough, the line dwindled, and the other customers simply drank their tea and played Pai Sho. Azula had no one at her counter. She looked at Suki again.

“Psst!”

Suki pretended to ignore her.

“Psst! Peasant!” Azula stage whispered.

Suki took a long, slow sip of tea.

“Ugh, fine. Kyoshi girl!”

Suki decided this was the best she’d get. “You know my name, Az—Mianju.”

Azula glanced away for a minute. Suki blinked.

“Did you really forget?” asked Suki.

“Unimportant. Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” asked Suki.

“With that man? Why did you do that?”

Suki blinked. She had already almost forgotten about the whole incident with Mr. Vo. She shrugged.

“Girl Code.”

“What?”

Suki glanced at Azula. She looked angry, which was par for the course, but she also looked… confused.

“You know. Girl Code.”

Azula shook her head. “What in the world is that?”

Suki squinted. Azula really didn’t know, did she?

“There are certain situations where you stand with the other girl, no matter how much you… dislike her,” Suki explained. “For example, when that time of the month comes, you provide sanitary products if she asks for some. No question asked.”

Azula raised her eyebrow.

“This was one of those situations. Even if I don’t like you, he’d talk that way to someone else if he didn’t get told to knock it off.”

“I can handle myself,” Azula snapped. “And he obviously didn’t care what you told him. He’s not going to change.”

Suki shrugged. “It’s just what you do. You stand side by side. And also, I could tell you were going to fry him. And that would only invite trouble from your… generous benefactor.”

Azula sniffed. “Ah yes, the Earth King is being so generous to me.”

Suki stood up from her table and made her way over to Azula. “Watch what you say,” she whispered. “The Dai Li are watching.”

Azula glanced around the room.

“And yes, he is being generous. It’s a miracle he’s not demanding your execution after what you did. So, be grateful.” Suki walked back over to her seat and sank down.

Azula was looking at the desk. At least she wasn’t staring at Suki anymore.

0-0-0

Jin couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe any of this.

Fortunately, her time in customer service allowed her to perfect her “keep a smile on her face no matter what’s going on inside” skill. Not that Mr. Mush—Iroh—encouraged rude behavior, but he was only one man, and he couldn’t personally deal with every weird, rude, or creepy customer.

Princess Azula, a.k.a. Mianju, was right at the counter. And she was frowning at everything!

And then, that whole thing with Mr. Vo happened, and Jin could hardly contain her glee. She couldn’t stand Mr. Vo. His words may have sounded nice, but something about him always made her feel uncomfortable.

Jin scurried around the shop, providing refills, and overheard snippets of Suki and Azula’s conversation.

“Girl Code.”

“What?”

“You know, Girl Code.”

Jin grinned to herself. Suki was such an awesome person. She even stepped up to defend Azula! And she was a Kyoshi Warrior? Jin wondered if there was a polite way to ask for makeup tips.

She snuck another glance at Azula. Jin remembered when she had last seen Lee—Zuko—with that girl after the coup, and she thought that the girl was extremely beautiful in an intimidating sort of way. Azula was the same; gorgeous, but in a way that made Jin a little scared for her safety. Azula’s lipstick was impeccable, and her hair was done up in a Fire Nation-style topknot, tied with a green ribbon, and two perfectly even bangs framed her face. Jin wondered how Azula could manage to look so regal despite wearing the same uniform as Jin.

_Well, she_ is _a princess,_ Jin thought.

“Excuse me? May I have a refill?” asked Mrs. Hu, a regular customer and an absolute sweetheart. Jin smiled at her.

“Of course!”

Jin had to remember to pay attention. The lunch rush would begin soon.

0-0-0

Azula felt exhausted, and she hadn’t even been on her feet for most of the day. Jin was closing the main doors to the Jasmine Dragon, and Iroh was collecting the money.

He counted out several piles of seven silver pieces each, and then handed a pile to each employee. Azula groaned and rubbed the back of her neck, and she saw him push a pile towards her.

“Your wages for today, niece,” he smiled.

Azula groaned and shoved the coins into her pocket. The rest of the employees left, and then it was just Iroh, Azula, and one of the Kyoshi Warriors.

Suki had switched out with another Kyoshi Warrior shortly after lunch, and that warrior had switched again a few hours previously. Azula neither knew nor cared the third warrior’s name, but she noticed her hair was different than Suki’s and the second one’s. This third warrior’s hair was long, dark brown, and had various small braids and beads in loops throughout. Azula also noticed that the warrior had much darker skin than Suki or the second girl.

“Would you like me to walk you home?” the warrior asked Iroh.

“Thank you very much, Arna, but I believe my niece and I will be fine. I will see you tomorrow.”

Arna grinned and bowed to Iroh. “You’re welcome. Thank you for the tea. It was excellent!”

Iroh smiled and bowed to her, then gestured towards the side entrance. Arna left, followed by Azula, and Iroh stepped out last and locked the door.

It was about nine o’clock at night. The air was somewhat chilly. Azula shivered slightly, and felt Iroh’s gentle hand on her arm.

“Come, let’s go home.”

_Home._ To Azula, that meant sitting on the Dragon Throne. To Iroh, it meant his apartment that didn’t even have a separate living and dining area.

Azula heaved a sigh, and followed after her uncle. They waked slowly, Azula with a healing ankle and Iroh with old age, and made their way the short distance to the apartment.

Why did plebeian work have to be so _difficult_?

After a short dinner that Azula was too tired to taste, she crawled into her borrowed bed and went immediately to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula deals with customer service. I wonder how it will affect her, hm...?
> 
> So, I am not a girl. I am a guy. Please let me know if I need to change or fix anything about the "Girl Code." I've seen posts online about these sort of unspoken agreements, and if anything I wrote can be improved please let me know!
> 
> I mentioned the Phoenix in Long Feng's name. In Chinese, Long Feng's name is written as 龍鳳, which literally are the characters for "Dragon" and "Phoenix." These two legendary animals are both auspicious symbols, according to [ChinaCulture.org](http://en.chinaculture.org/chineseway/2014-07/31/content_553822.htm)
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are appreciated! :D


	7. Humdrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula deals with the general public some more. She hates her job.

Azula grimaced as she sat behind the Jasmine Dragon’s counter.

The monotony was getting to her. Day in, day out, dealing with _people_.

And the general public, she found quickly, had little patience or common sense.

“This was only two copper pieces two weeks ago!” said the lady.

Azula closed her eyes and grit her teeth. “The price of ginseng root increased last week. So the price of the tea is now four copper pieces.”

“I haven’t seen you here before!” cried the lady. “I want to speak to the manager!”

Azula grimaced. “Uncle!” she shouted to the kitchens.

Iroh made his way out towards the counter. “Yes?”

“Your employee is being incredibly rude! I demand a discount!”

_Ah,_ Azula thought, _this is strategic. Get me annoyed, complain to Uncle, get a discount to keep the peace._ She turned to Iroh.

“I was simply explaining that the price of ginseng is now slightly higher than before,” drawled Azula.

Iroh looked between his niece and the lady.

“My apologies, Madam. The price of ginseng has recently increased. I can offer you a discount this time, but going forward it will be slightly higher.”

The lady crossed her arms. “I suppose that is acceptable.”

Azula couldn’t believe her ears. Uncle was _giving her the discount_?

“Mianju, please record the discounted price,” Uncle said.

Azula scowled and took the lady’s two copper pieces.

“Was that so hard?” the lady sneered.

Azula zapped her with a tiny bit of lightning as she took the coins. Not enough to kill, or even seriously hurt her, but enough to give her a shock.

“Ah!” the woman shouted. Azula cocked her head, feigning innocence.

“What’s the matter?”

The woman adjusted the scarf around her collar. “Nothing, nothing,” she said, before scurrying off.

Azula’s smug expression dropped as Suki made her way over to the counter.

“Don’t do that again,” hissed Suki.

“Do what?” Azula whispered innocently.

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you did, and you know what you did. And all you have to do is give the Dai Li the _tiniest_ reason to suspect you, and you’ll be off to the Earth King’s dungeon. You _cannot_ attack Earth Kingdom citizens.”

Azula huffed. “She deserved it. And besides, it’s not like you or your ‘Girl Code’ were any help at all.”

“That was different. I’m not gonna come running to your side every time you make a bad decision. You should be grateful that I’m even warning you and not just reporting this to the Dai Li.”

“Fine.”

Azula found that simply doing as she was told was easier to keep others out of her hair. She tried to formulate a plan to escape, but nothing was coming to her yet. She had many enemies, no allies, no resources, and a full schedule of tea serving.

By the time two weeks had passed since she had arrived, a healer allowed Azula to take off the boot. Her ankle had healed completely.

By three weeks, her uncle wanted her to serve tables, confident that her leg was fine.

“I see you practicing your katas in the yard behind the building, I know it’s healed,” said Iroh.

And so, Azula, Conqueror of Ba Sing Se, found herself serving tea.

She hated it. _Hated it_. Her feet ached at the end of the day, she felt drained of energy, and the people…

Ugh, she hated the people most of all.

The smiling ladies who complimented her lipstick. The small children who wouldn’t shut up. The elderly people who had the _gall_ to act as if they were entitled to her service.

She was a Princess of the Fire Nation!

Azula thought she was going to snap if she had to take anymore. She couldn’t even figure out a plan on how to get out of this! Under the watchful eye of Uncle, the Kyoshi Warriors, and Dai Li agents that weren’t loyal to her, she could see no way out of this hell she was trapped in.

0-0-0

“Excuse me? What is in the jasmine tea?” asked some woman.

Azula rolled her eyes. “Jasmine.”

The woman huffed. “Young lady, there is no need to be so rude! What is your name?”

Azula scowled. “Mianju.”

“I should report this to your boss, Miss Mianju!”

“Go ahead.”

The woman huffed again. “Well I never! What a rude child!”

Azula sighed and walked away.

0-0-0

Jin never thought she’d say this, but she loved working with Princess Azula.

Sure, Azula was mean and generally awful to be around, but she could match the worst customers tit-for-tat. She had no “customer service” face, much like Lee—Zuko—hadn’t. She openly scowled at everyone.

When a customer made a ridiculous request, or an outrageous demand, Azula would simply sass them with as much contempt she could muster. She didn’t care about hurting those people’s feelings, or how it might affect business. She just did it.

Something about it seemed so liberating to Jin. She wouldn’t dare do it herself, but she could appreciate that Azula did it.

At a nearby table, Jin heard a lady asking Azula what was in the jasmine tea. Azula had pointedly replied that the jasmine tea was made from jasmine, as the name implied.

The woman huffed. “Young lady, there is no need to be so rude! What is your name?”

Jin turned to watch the scene go down. Azula gave her alias.

“I should report this to your boss, Miss Mianju!” said the woman, crossing her arms.

Azula simply shrugged. “Go ahead.”

Jin grinned. If a customer threatened to complain to Mr. Mushi—Iroh—about _her_ , she would be scared out of her mind. Not that he would do anything awful to her, but she would feel like she had let him down. Meanwhile, Azula just dared the lady to do it.

The woman huffed again. “Well I never! What a rude child!”

Azula sighed and walked away.

That was the kind of thing that, deep down, Jin wished she could say to the customers. But she didn’t like being rude, or causing a scene, so she didn’t.

“Excuse me, I’d like a refill!” called a customer.

“Coming!” Jin said, squaring her shoulders and going over to the man.

0-0-0

Iroh kept an eye on Azula through the small window that connected the kitchens and the dining area together.

Azula was clearly having a difficult time interacting with customers. She was rude, prickly, and altogether miserable.

Iroh remembered another prickly, rude, miserable teen that he had spent three years on a boat with.

Iroh kept watch as Azula had an altercation with an elderly, noble patron. The patron wanted to complain to Iroh. He was getting a lot of complaints, recently.

Iroh inhaled a large breath of tea-smelling-air. It was okay. He would take this one step at a time, just like he did with Zuko. This wasn’t something he could force. What Azula needed was space, and exposure to new people and new ideas. It took Zuko three years to understand how the path he was on was a dangerous one. It didn’t matter if it took Azula five years of five months to come to the same conclusions.

Iroh would be with her all the way.

0-0-0

Azula groaned as she sat down in the kitchen area of the apartment. Another long day of serving tea and dealing with rude people, idiots, and rude idiots.

Iroh busied himself making a late dinner. “Would you like any, Princess?”

Azula exhaled through her nose, too tired to even give a proper sigh. “Fine.”

Iroh quickly made some noodles, flavoring them with a small packet of Fire Nation spices he recently bought. He was giddy when he first found it. Iroh had never imagined that he would be able to buy all the spices he needed for a nice Fire Nation meal in a tiny little packet, already prepackaged for use.

Iroh wondered if the same could be applied to tea. Selling little packets of tea with the proper amount of leaves for people to make at home themselves… it was an interesting thought. He would have to try it out sometime.

He set out two bowls of noodles, one for himself and one for Azula. He knelt down at the table with a grunt and began to eat.

Azula pushed the noodles around with her chopsticks, but didn’t eat. Iroh looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Is everything alright, niece?”

Azula stared at Iroh through her furrowed eyebrows.

“What?” asked Iroh.

“Oh, I don’t know, Uncle. It’s just that I am doing peasant’s work in a tea shop, when I was born to rule. I have eyes on me at all times, when I used to hold this city in the palm of my hand. And I’m somehow always exhausted, when I used to fight without even breaking a sweat. So no, everything is _not_ alright, but what does that matter to you? You’re just keeping me out of Zuzu’s stupidly fluffy hair.”

Iroh grimaced. “Azula, I’m sorry to hear this. I genuinely care about your wellbeing. Tell me, what can I do to help? Is there anything that will make you more comfortable?”

Azula huffed. She pushed the uneaten noodles towards Iroh and stalked off to her room, slamming the door. Iroh sighed, and finished his dinner.

When Azula woke up the next morning, stomach growling with hunger, a bowl of cold noodles covered by a towel was waiting outside her door.

0-0-0

Later that day, Azula swept the shop while Iroh called Jin back into his office. Suki remained in the dining area, sitting on a chair and watching Azula clean.

“You could make yourself useful, you know,” Iroh heard Azula say to Suki as the door shut behind him.

“Yes, Mr. Mushi?” asked Jin. Iroh smiled. He didn’t mind Jin calling him by his alias. He figured one name was more convenient to remember than two.

“I wanted to ask your feelings after working with my niece these past few weeks.”

Jin stiffened. “Um…”

“Please, speak honestly,” said Iroh, lowering himself into the chair behind his desk. “I want to know what you actually feel, not what you think I want to hear. I know how Azula can be, so your feedback is helpful.”

“Well…” Jin started. “Um… She’s actually kinda cool!”

Iroh raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah. I mean, she doesn’t put up with poor treatment from the nobles. You know how the Upper Ringers can be…”

Iroh nodded. “Yes, I know how nobles anywhere can be. I dealt with them back in the Fire Nation, too.”

Jin played with one of her braids. “Well, I just like how Azula doesn’t take any of it. I don’t think I could ever do that!”

Iroh nodded again. “I must admit, I am surprised to hear that you feel this way. How does she treat you?”

Jin’s smile faltered. “Well… the same as the Upper Ringers, mostly.”

Iroh raised his eyebrow again.

“She’s kind of… hostile… with everyone. And I hear her muttering about peasants a lot…”

“That doesn’t surprise me. In your opinion, is there anything I can do to help?”

Jin cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“I tried asking her myself last night, but she wouldn’t give me an answer. I know she doesn’t want to be here, and I feel like I should try to make this at least a little more pleasant. I don’t want to get too many customer complaints, after all. Even my nephew’s prickly demeanor didn’t draw so many complaints!”

Jin scratched her chin. “Well, it is a bit different for girls…”

“Is it?”

“Well, yeah. Girls are expected to be pretty and smiling and polite and all that. A surly young man like Lee isn’t too out of the ordinary, even if he isn’t as pleasant as a polite server. Put his personality on a girl, though, and everyone is wondering who raised such a bad-mannered young lady.” Jin shrugged. “At least, in my experience it seems that way. Guys like Lee also give off a mysterious ‘bad-boy’ vibe that can be… attractive…” Jin bit her lip. “Plus, Lee got extra sympathy because of his… uh, his scar. I mean, it was right on his face. Azula doesn’t have any outwardly obvious reason to be as snippy as she is.”

Iroh nodded in understanding. “I honestly wasn’t aware there was such a double standard. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. And, my apologies for making you work in such conditions.”

Jin waved her hands. “I mean, it’s not your fault! That’s just kind of the way things are. You can’t control everything your customers do and say, or the way they think. You’re only one person, after all.”

“Never underestimate the power of one person, Jin,” said Iroh. “A single person can make all the difference.”

“That’s true,” Jin conceded, “but everyone has their limits. You can’t be expected to fix all the problems of the world!”

Iroh barked out a laugh. “Now you sound like me, when I write to my nephew! You are quite a wise young lady, Jin!”

Jin blushed at the praise. “Thank you.”

Iroh sat back in his chair. “Tell me, since you are facing some of the same customers that Azula is, is there anything I can do to help? Both of you.”

Jin looked upwards, tapping her chin. “Well, remember that day after the price of ginseng rose? And that customer wanted a discount?”

Iroh thought for a minute. “I do.”

“I don’t think you should have given her the discount.”

Iroh looked at Jin, gesturing for her to continue.

“I mean, the customer was the one being rude to Azula and making a scene… Azula was actually handling it well. She wasn’t apologizing or anything, but she was just telling the lady, over and over, that the price had risen. And the lady made a big fuss and demanded to speak to you. And the fact that you allowed her to have the discount kind of showed the lady that she would be rewarded for making a fuss, and showed Azula that you would rather stand with a stranger than with her.”

Iroh shut his eyes. _Of course!_ he thought. _How could I not have seen that?_

“I understand, Jin. Once again, I must apologize. I see how actions such as that make for a hostile working environment.” He opened his eyes and looked at Jin. “I will do better going forward. You, and all my employees deserve to feel safe. I am sorry.”

Jin looked taken aback. She giggled a little.

“What is so funny?” asked Iroh.

“It’s just… I keep forgetting that you’re the Dragon of the West… and you’re apologizing to _me!_ ”

“Well, you deserve one,” said Iroh.

Jin swallowed her giggles, smiling at Iroh. “Thank you for your apology. I really appreciate it.” She bowed to Iroh, Earth Kingdom style.

Iroh nodded. “Is there anything else I should know about?”

Jin thought. “Well… um… I mean…”

“Yes?”

Jin looked at Iroh. “Maybe giving her a day off would be helpful?”

“A day off?”

Jin nodded. “I imagine, being a princess and all, she wouldn’t be used to work.”

Iroh’s face darkened. “You’d be surprised. My brother, her father, was a cruel man. He pushed her harder than any child should be pushed to train, to be perfect. She hunted my nephew and I across the Earth Kingdom for months. She is no stranger to physical exertion.” He leaned back in his chair. “Though I suppose you’re right. She mentioned to me how tired she is lately. She isn’t used to work like this. And I have been having her come in every day so I could keep an eye on her…”

Iroh trailed off, while Jin grimaced. She was given a day off weekly, at least. She hadn’t realized Azula came in _every day_.

She just meant an additional day off, as a treat.

Iroh looked up at Jin and smiled. “You’re right. The Kyoshi Warriors can keep an eye on her. I think a day off every week should be more than fair. What about you?”

Jin shifted. “Um… I thought she already had a day off every week. I meant, just an extra, random day off, but yeah. She totally should have at least one day off a week.”

“I see. I had wanted to keep an eye on her myself, but I can see how working every day wears a person down. I’ll let her know about her new schedule. And, maybe, if she needs it, I’ll let her have an extra day off. We’ll see how it goes.” Iroh smiled and winked at Jin.

Jin smiled back. “That sounds good to me.”


	8. The Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula's first day off takes an unexpected twist.

Azula woke up after sunrise for the first time in a long time.

She hadn’t done that since the day after the comet, when she had been defeated, humiliated, and put in a cell. Firebenders rose with the sun. Everyone knew that.

Not rising with the sun was… disorienting. For a second, Azula was confused.

Then, she remembered. It was her day off. Uncle had deigned to allow her one day of rest per week.

Azula grinned. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with the idiots at the Jasmine Dragon. Yawning, she stretched on her futon, soaking in the rays of the midmorning sun.

Rolling out from under the covers, Azula placed her feet on the wooden floor and walked into the living area. She smiled as she thought she would have the apartment to herself.

She frowned as she saw that wasn’t the case.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” said the tall Kyoshi Warrior with black hair. Ren or Ran or whatever her name was, Azula didn’t care.

“What are you doing here? This is Uncle’s apartment.”

“You really didn’t think we were going to leave you alone, did you?” said Suki.

Azula rolled her eyes. “It’s my day off.”

“That may be so, but we don’t get a day off. We have to make sure you behave.”

“I’m sure the Dai Li have this apartment under watch anyway,” said Azula.

Suki and the other warrior glanced to the windows. No one was there, but the Dai Li’s creepy presence could be felt… somewhere.

“We’re doing this for the Fire Lord, not the Earth King,” said the tall warrior.

“Ugh. So you’re here to spy on Zuzu’s little sister for him? Pathetic.”

The tall warrior bared her teeth, but Suki held out her arm.

“Don’t let her rile you up, Rin.” Ah. So that was her name.

Azula strolled over to the small bookshelf Iroh kept. She pulled out a book without looking, stalked over to the low sofa, and flopped down by the window.

Suki arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you were a fan of romance.”

“What?” Azula looked at the cover of her book. Sure enough, it was a romance novel, titled _Secret Tunnel of Love_.

Azula scoffed. “It’s not my fault if all Uncle has for reading materials is this drivel.” Glaring at Suki, she opened the book to the first page, and began reading.

Suki smirked. She glanced at the bookshelf. There were lots of different books, fiction and nonfiction, about many different things and in many different genres. But now, for some reason, Azula’s pride kept her reading the romance book that she clearly had no love for. She could easily just go and pick out another book. Iroh had much more than just romance.

Suki knew about _Secret Tunnel of Love_. It was a sappy, over-the-top book dramatizing the story of Oma and Shu, the first earthbenders. It had cringey and unbelievable dialogue, and Suki had to put it down halfway through and never picked it up again.

She wondered how long Azula would last. Azula quietly flipped the page.

Suki shot a glance to Rin. Arna would come later to switch out with one of them, and then the person who had been resting would switch out with the person who stayed after that.

It was strange, seeing Azula in her knee-length nightgown, legs tucked under her, reading on the sunny spot of the sofa. She looked almost… harmless.

Suki leaned against the wall, tense and ready to go if Azula tried anything. Rin settled onto a nearby chair.

They didn’t know what to expect guarding Azula at home, but if this continued on, it was shaping up to be a very boring day.

0-0-0

Azula frowned at the book as she turned another page. She honestly didn’t care what was happening in the book. It was just something to do. She should honestly stop reading this _drivel_ and try to practice in the yard…

And yet, something possessed her to keep turning the pages. Okay, maybe she found this bit of dialogue witty. Maybe she was a tad curious to see what would happen next to that character. She still thought it was a stupid Earth Kingdom book. A piece of trash that couldn’t compare to the High Art of Fire Nation literature.

Not that she cared much for Fire Nation literature either. That was always Zuzu’s specialty.

She flipped another page as she heard someone’s stomach growl.

“Quiet!” she snapped.

Azula could see the Kyoshi Warriors shift in the corner of her eye.

“Um, Azula… that was you…” came Suki’s voice.

Azula looked up from the book. “What?”

Azula heard the growl again this time. It was undoubtedly coming from her. She could feel it, too. Azula’s face grew hot.

“It’s a little past two o’clock,” said Suki, unprompted.

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” asked Azula.

Suki shrugged. “You were reading.”

Azula looked down at the book in her hands. She was almost a quarter of the way through. When had that happened? If Suki was telling the truth, then Azula was reading for over four hours straight. She growled and placed the book face-down on the sofa. She got up, stretched, and made her way to her room. She needed to get into some real clothes.

0-0-0

Suki glanced at the spot Azula was. It was kind of entertaining, watching the princess get slowly sucked into reading the book. As the day wore on, Azula had moved across the couch to stay in the warm sunlight, like a slinking owlcat. At the start she was perched at the edge of the sofa, but by noon she was in the center. Even better, Azula didn’t even seem to realize she was doing it.

_Do all firebenders seek the sun like that?_ wondered Suki.

Azula also hadn’t noticed Arna switch out for Rin. Or that Arna had brought lunch. Or that her own serving of the lunch was on the low table, uneaten and getting cold.

As the princess made her way to her room, Suki shot Arna a glance. They heard the door click shut.

“Has she been like this all day?”

Suki nodded. “She hasn’t looked up from that book once. I guess she really enjoys it? I dunno, I could never finish it, it was too cringey.”

Arna shot a glance to the book. “It looks like Azula disagrees,” she said, pointing to the sofa.

Suki followed Arna’s gaze. Sure enough, Azula had placed the open book face-down, so as not to lose her place.

_This is just too good,_ thought Suki. Azula would _never_ admit to actually liking it. Suki tried thinking of ways to work it into conversation to get a rise out of Azula.

Azula returned to the room, dressed in the outfit she had worn as Conqueror of Ba Sing Se. The golden Dai Li symbol was prominent on Azula’s abdomen. Suki raised her eyebrow.

“What now?” snapped Azula.

Suki gestured to her clothes. Azula scoffed.

“Apparently, Zuzu had it packed for me. As well as several replicas. I guess he thought I wore it because I _liked_ it, not because it showed my power over the Dai Li.”

“You’re not in charge of the Dai Li, anymore, Azula.”

“It’s not like I’m going to wear my stupid tea shop uniform on my day off.”

Suki shot a look to Arna. Arna shrugged.

Azula picked up a pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the stovetop. With a flick of her fingers, she lit the burner underneath.

Suki could have pointed out that Azula had a perfectly fine (if a little cold, but Azula could easily reheat it) lunch on the table already, but she wanted to see this. She couldn’t imagine pampered Princess Azula actually knowing how to cook for herself.

Azula waited for the pot to come to a boil, before placing a bundle of uncooked noodles into the bubbling water. She let the noodles cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they were ready, she flicked her wrist and the flames went out. She grabbed a small packet from the cupboard, and opened it.

Suki recognized the smell from across the room. Fire Nation spices.

Azula poured the contents of the packet into the simmering pot, and then began to stir vigourously. Once the spices were spread out over all the noodles, Azula got a bowl and began to scoop noodles into it with some chopsticks.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” said Arna.

Azula glared at the waterbending Kyoshi Warrior. “I hunted my useless brother and uncle, and the Avatar, across the Earth Kingdom for months. Of course I know how to cook my own meals.”

Suki nodded, feeling a grudging respect for the princess. At least she wasn’t _that_ spoiled.

It was a very low bar, though.

Azula sat down at the low table, eyeing the lunch that Arna brought suspiciously. She pushed it away, and began to eat the noodles she cooked herself.

It was very subtle, but Azula seemed to relax as she scooped the noodles into her mouth.

“You’re going to have to get some new clothes, you know,” said Arna.

Azula arched an eyebrow. “So you’re going to critique _my_ fashion?”

“You can’t walk around the city with a giant Dai Li logo on your chest.”

Azula frowned at her clothes. “I suppose you’re right…”

Arna stood up. “After lunch, grab your money. We’re going shopping.”

“We?”

“You can’t leave the house without a chaperone, Princess. Earth King’s orders.”

Azula huffed. “Fine.”

“And grab a cloak, too. Gotta cover up that symbol.”

Suki looked at Arna. Arna was from the Northern Water tribe, and only joined the Kyoshi Warriors after the war’s end. Unlike the other Kyoshi Warriors, and most of the people in Ba Sing Se, she never suffered from Azula’s actions personally. The Fire Nation as a whole, sure, but not Azula. Suki supposed this was why Arna seemed like it was a good idea to suggest a shopping trip with Azula.

Suki felt a pang in her chest as she thought of Sokka. He loved shopping. Maybe she should pick something up for him.

Azula finished her noodles and went off to her room. Suki looked over at Arna.

“You really think it’s a good idea to take her out?”

Arna shrugged. “The Earth King said she could go out with an escort.”

“He said she couldn’t go out _without_ an escort. Kinda of different.”

Arna shrugged again. “Still, he basically implies that he knows she will go out, so she can as long as we’re with her.”

Suki shot a look to Azula’s room. “She’s extremely tricky, Arna. Don’t let her out of your sight. You haven’t experienced Azula like I have.”

Arna nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll be ready.”

0-0-0

Azula didn’t really want to spend her hard-earned money already, but she did want to see something other than the apartment.

She also wanted to leave her babysitters behind, but no luck there.

Suki and Arna followed her out onto the street. Together, the three of them made their way towards the market area.

Azula pulled the black cloak she was wearing over her shoulders. She didn’t know where the Dai Li were, and she didn’t like not knowing. She didn’t like the uncertainty of what they would try to do. Even though Azula was an excellent fighter, she wouldn’t be able to take them all on together.

Not to mention, the Kyoshi Warriors definitely knew chi-blocking. And Azula knew very well how slippery chi-blockers were.

As soon as they made their way into the clothing store, Azula noticed a problem. All the prices were in gold pieces. Azula only had silver pieces. She knew that a certain amount of silver pieces equaled a gold piece, but that amount was different between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. She also didn’t know either off the top of her head. Not that it mattered, because all the prices were in the hundreds; there was no way she had enough.

Still, Azula didn’t say anything. She looked at the various clothes with feigned nonchalance.

“Wow, everything here is really fancy!” said Arna.

“Hmm,” hummed Azula.

“She’s right, Az—Mianju,” said Suki. “Are you sure you can afford anything here?”

Azula ignored her.

“See anything you like, miss?” asked a clerk, coming to her side.

Azula left the rack she was looking at, heading towards the door. “No.”

The clerk’s face fell, but Azula didn’t see it. Suki and Arna followed after her.

“What was that?” asked Arna.

Azula ignored her, crossing her arms and looking around.

“Azula,” whispered Suki, “you didn’t have enough, did you?”

“Well, what did you expect, when I’m making a peasant’s salary?”

Suki tilted her head. “What?”

“Seven silver pieces a day? What am I going to do with that?”

Suki and Arna’s eyes both widened. “ _Seven_? Seven pieces every _day_?”

Azula raised her eyebrow. “Yes?”

Suki shook her head. “Azula, that’s not a peasant’s wage.”

“Of course it is. Jin makes the exact same amount.”

Arna looked at Suki. “I had no idea Iroh was so generous,” she said in a low voice.

Azula was trying to understand what was happening. Something clearly was getting lost in translation. “Generous?”

Suki looked Azula in the eye. “The average Lower Ringer in Ba Sing Se makes _one_ silver piece a day.”

Azula thought that a punch to the face would have been less shocking. “What?!”

“And that’s just the _average_. There’s a lot of Lower Ringers who walk home with fifty copper pieces in their pockets, instead.”

Azula opened and closed her mouth. “How… how many copper pieces are in a silver piece?”

“A hundred,” Suki offered automatically.

Azula quickly did the math in her head. Along with buying food, and tools, and other necessities, the total would be…

A lot more than a single silver piece.

“How… how do you _survive_ on one silver piece?”

Suki shrugged. “People make do. You either find ways to survive, or you die. The Lower Ring isn’t exactly the picture of wealth.”

Azula was still reeling from this information.

“Maybe the Middle Ring has some more affordable clothes. Let’s go,” said Arna, taking off to one of the monorail stations.

Azula and Suki followed, and the three purchased monorail tickets and made their way to the Middle Ring. Before long, they were in a clothing store, and Arna was right; the clothes were much more affordable. And also much more varied in style. There were qipaos and hanboks, a few kimonos, all in various shades of green.

“Suki! Arna! A—Mianju! Hi!” came a cheery voice. Azula turned around to see Jin making her way towards them.

“Jin! What are you doing here?” asked Suki.

“Well, usually I hang out with friends on my day off, but they all had their own things going on today, so decided to just wander around the Middle Ring. Look at the stuff.” She shrugged. “What are you guys doing down here?”

“Just some clothes shopping for Az—for Mianju,” said Arna.

“Ooo! That seems fun! Anything catch your eye, Mianju?”

Azula glanced around the store. Her eyes caught on a dark green dress with yellow designs. Shiny threads in the designs sparkled and caught her eye.

A little like fire.

“That one,” Azula said, pointing at the dress.

“Go try it on!”

Azula looked to Jin. “Try it on?”

“Um, yeah?”

“Won’t I just get measured and they’ll tailor it to my size?”

Arna started giggling.

“What?” asked Azula.

“You gotta go find a tailor and pay them for that. Otherwise, you just work with the sizes they have.”

Azula stared at Arna. “Fine.”

Azula took the dress, and went to go try it on. Suki waited outside the fitting room.

“How is it, Mianju?”

Azula did not respond. It didn’t fit her properly.

“It doesn’t fit, does it?”

“Shut up. It’s just a tad large.”

“Let’s see it.”

Azula scowled, and opened the curtain. Immediately, Suki and Arna burst out laughing. The sleeves went over Azula’s hands, and the hem of the skirt went much further than Azula’s legs.

Azula scoffed and crossed her arms. She would not be made to feel like a fool.

The only one not laughing was Jin. “Oh, that’s actually pretty good! You can easily hem it yourself so it fits! I think you should get it!”

Azula did not mention that she didn’t know the first thing about hemming. “No, I think I’ll just get something else,” she sighed.

“Most clothes already come a little large anyway. It’s easier for shorter people to just hem the clothes than it is for taller people to wear clothes that are too short.” Jin tapped her chin. “I wonder if Avatar Kyoshi had anything to do with that.”

Suki perked up. “Maybe! She was the tallest of any Avatar, you know!”

Azula sighed. “Fine, if you insist. Does this city have any practical wear? I can’t practice bending in a skirt.”

Arna looked at her own skirt. Without the black armor and makeup, her Kyoshi Warrior uniform seemed perfectly ordinary. “I’d beg to differ.”

Azula narrowed her eyes. What would a nonbender know? Firebending had many moves that have flips and jumps; not to mention, all that loose fabric would be a fire hazard.

“Oh, yeah. There’s another store near here that sells those kind of clothes. Why don’t you buy that, and I’ll lead you there?”

0-0-0

Azula changed back, bought the dress, and then followed Jin to the aforementioned store with practical wear. After selecting a suitable outfit that resembled her Dai Li uniform, minus the symbol, Azula paid for the outfit and considered her mission a success.

“We should be getting back to the Upper Ring soon,” said Suki. “I’m due to switch out with Rin.”

The four girls made their way to the monorail station, where they got in line to purchase tickets to the Upper Ring.

“Passport?” asked the lady in the ticket booth.

Suki and Arna took out their passports. Azula frowned at them. Earth Kingdom passports looked like green bookmarks, made out of some kind of wood. A dedicated carpenter with a hobby for painting could easily make a forgery. Fire Nation passports were little maroon booklets, with a person’s information and blank pages for entry and exit stamps. Azula knew that the pages were made of a special paper, and had tiny, difficult-to-replicate designs on them to make forgery more difficult.

“Three tickets to the Upper Ring, please,” said Suki.

“Number Three needs a passport, too,” said the ticket booth lady.

Arna and Suki both looked to Azula, who shuffled.

“I… don’t have a passport.”

“You left it in the apartment?” asked Suki.

Azula shook her head. “I don’t have one. No one ever said I needed one.”

“Passports are required to enter the Upper Ring,” said the lady.

Suki looked to her, then snatched her and Arna’s passports back. She marched over to Azula, grabbed her arm, and dragged her over to where Jin was sitting, watching the group.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“She needs a passport to get to the Upper Ring. Is there an office we can go to or something?” asked Suki.

Jin started tugging on her braid. “Um… the passport offices are all closed today. They don’t open until none o’clock tomorrow.”

“Well then what am I gonna do?” shouted Azula.

Jin tapped her chin. “Do one of you have passports? Someone should tell Mr. Mushi.”

“One of us needs to stay with Mianju,” said Suki.

Arna turned to Suki. “You go tell Ir—Mushi—what’s going on. I’ll stay here with her.” She gestured at Azula.

“You sure you can handle it?”

“I’m sure.”

Jin waved her hand. “Since you guys will be kinda stranded here until the Transportation Offices open tomorrow, you can come stay at my place! I’m sure my parents won’t mind!”

Arna’s mouth dropped open. “Jin, we really can’t ask that of you, we’ll be fine—”

“Please, I insist,” said Jin. She looked at Azula. “As long as you’re okay with it.”

Azula sniffed. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

“Great!” said Jin, ignoring the insult. “My house is in the Lower Ring. Let’s get going!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula learns some of the harsh realities of the "peasants" she's so disdainful of. To be fair, she never had a frame of reference for how much things cost and what an average wage is before.
> 
> Iroh may have made some mistakes in previous chapters, but he pays his employees fairly. Seven silver pieces is more than enough for a living wage in the Middle and Lower Rings, where most of his employees come from (many of them being University Students or people he's met when going about Ba Sing Se).
> 
> Jin continues to be a sweetheart. Also, Azula doesn't know that Arna is a waterbender. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think! :D


	9. Bump in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long Feng enters Ba Sing Se while Azula tries to escape her demons.

Long Feng looked up at the Outer Wall surrounding Ba Sing Se and smiled.

It hadn’t taken much to convince his former underlings, who betrayed him for Azula, to once again swear loyalty to him. They themselves had been cast aside by the Earth King and banished from Ba Sing Se.

Some of them had been banished from the Fire Palace by Azula, too. Serves them right.

The rest of the Dai Li that had been banished by Princess Azula remained in the Fire Nation, in the shadows, away from scrutiny. Establishing contact with them would be important. Once things were secured in Ba Sing Se, they could surprise the Fire Nation as well.

The Impenetrable City of Ba Sing Se proved to be very penetrable. Once by the Dragon of the West, who breached the Outer Wall towards the end of the siege. Once again by Princess Azula, who snuck into the city in disguise and brought down the Earth King.

And the city would yield once again to Long Feng.

The Dai Li were comprised of elite earthbenders and had an extensive map of underground caverns and tunnels. Being purged from the organization did not remove those skills or that knowledge.

Long Feng and the other former Dai Li agents gathered outside the wall over a large underground vein. Together, they punched the ground. An entrance opened into the tunnel. They dropped in, sealing the hole above them.

Inside the tunnel, green crystals glowed and lit the way. They followed the tunnels for what felt like miles, as they traversed underneath the Agrarian Zone. After what was certainly hours of slow, creeping travel through the tunnels, Long Feng gave the signal to stop. Using their combined talents, they formed a pathway up and into the Lower Ring. Lifting themselves on platforms of earth, they rose through the dark into the light of a waning crescent moon.

Noises could be heard from taverns. Drunks stumbled home, and petty criminals lurked in search of prey. The sounds of a couple doing something very inappropriate three alleys down could be heard clearly. Long Feng and the other former Dai Li closed the holes they came out of and shrank into the shadows.

Let the lowlives run about. Soon, the city would once again belong to Long Feng.

0-0-0

Jin woke up to whimpering. She was confused for a moment, before she remembered that she invited Arna of the Kyoshi Warriors and Princess Azula into her home.

She laid in bed for a moment, thinking about the implications of that statement. Her parents had no idea; she kept her promise to Mr. Mush—Iroh.

Sometimes, the fact that she somehow accidentally met three members of the Fire Nation Royal Family continued to shock her.

Jin was spurred into action by the continued whimpering. She whipped her feet to the floor and stumbled out of the room. The floor was cold on her bare feet, and she wrapped her robe closer around herself.

She came out into the living room, where Arna and Azula were sleeping. Arna had curled herself up in a chair, still snoring. Azula lay on the couch, hugging herself under the blanket and making sad, pitiful noises in her sleep.

Jin knew her parents weren’t going to wake up. They somehow managed to sleep through the celebrations that broke out the night the city was taken back. Arna didn’t look like she was waking up anytime soon either, as she snored softly in her chair. Jin crept over to Azula.

In the gentle moonlight, Jin could see tear tracks making their way down Azula’s face. Azula mumbled in her sleep.

“No, no. Zuzu—no!”

“Azula?” Jin whispered. “Azula, you’re safe, you’re—”

Jin reached out. As her fingers brushed Azula’s shoulder, Azula’s eyes snapped open. She lunged at Jin, grabbing the collar of Jin’s robe, and landing on top of her. A blade of pure azure flame sprouted from Azula’s fist to right under Jin’s chin. Azula’s golden eyes were feral.

“Azula!” Jin stage whispered. “It’s me! You’re safe!”

Recognition flashed in Azula’s eyes. She snarled at Jin.

“How _dare_ you wake me—”

“You were crying in your sleep!” Jin explained.

Azula’s eyes narrowed. Jin felt the hot point of the fire blade prickle her skin uncomfortably. Then, Azula flicked it out.

She crawled off of Jin, back onto the couch, and wiped the tears off her face. She glared pointedly at Jin.

“You never saw this. This never happened,” said Azula. “And if you dare tell anyone… I’ll kill you.”

“I promise, Azula—”

“I am a _princess_!” hissed Azula.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Princess!” said Jin. “I promise, I won’t tell anyone!”

“See that you don’t,” said Azula. With that, she whipped around, facing away from Jin, and pulling the blanket over herself.

Jin caught her breath for a moment, before slowly standing and making her way back to her room. She didn’t notice Arna, still pretending to snore, who woke up the second Azula pounced on Jin, and who stayed back as Jin hastily explained what she was doing. She slipped into her room, wrapped herself up in her blanket, and stared at the ceiling, the light of the waning crescent moon shining through her window. She tried to ignore the strange shadows shifting outside her window.

_She was crying,_ thought Jin. _Is she scared of something? Does she miss her home? What could make Princess_ Azula _cry?_

_I guess she’s not as untouchable as she pretends to be…_


	10. Bureaucracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~Azula~~ Mianju gets her passport.

Azula woke up on the couch in Jin’s house. She blinked and rubbed the crust out of her eyes, a little confused.

She quickly remembered where she was and why she was there. She shot a glance to Arna, still curled up in the chair in the corner. Azula knew internally that it was sunrise.

There was no chance she could practice her bending here. Too many eyes around, and not enough space. Azula closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

0-0-0

Jin stretched her back as she woke up. It was early morning, and she’d have to get ready to take Azula to the Transportation Office for a passport.

She left her room and entered into the common area. “Good morning, guys,” she said to Arna and Azula.

Arna yawned and stretched from her chair. Azula’s eyes shot open, but she didn’t move from the sofa.

Jin heard her parent’s door open and turned towards the sound. Her mother, Ling, a short woman with graying hair and laugh lines on her face came out, followed by her father, Gahng, a stocky, well-built man with piercing green eyes and short, salt-and-pepper hair.

“Good morning, Jin, Arna, Mianju,” said Ling. “How did everyone sleep?”

“Just fine, Mom,” said Jin, leaning over to accept a forehead kiss from her mother.

“I woke up in the middle of the night, but everything was fine,” said Arna. Azula shot her a glance, but stayed silent.

“How about some breakfast, dears?” said Ling, moving over to the kitchen to begin preparing some _youtiao_.

“Thank you very much!” said Arna, crawling out from under the covers and standing up to stretch. Jin felt for her; Arna had assured everyone last night that she was adept at sleeping in weird places, but sleeping curled up in a chair had to give one various kinks to work out in the morning.

Azula stood up as well, folding the blanket and placing it on the back of the sofa.

Ling fried the _youtiao_ while Gahng set the table, and soon, the three girls had plates with the fried dough strips set in front of them.

Jin immediately took her _youtiao_ and tore it lengthwise in two, nibbling on one strip while placing the other back on her plate. Her parents did the same, and Azula followed their example. Arna, meanwhile, chomped right down on both sections of _youtiao_ without tearing them apart. Every now and then, Jin or her parents would rip off a chunk of _youtiao_ and dip it into the bowl of soy milk in the center of the round table.

Azula was curious, but she didn’t want to dip into the same bowl that they were using. _How unhygienic,_ she thought.

A knock came from the door, interrupting their breakfast. Gahng rose from the table, made his way over to the door, and cracked it open.

Azula couldn’t hear what was being said, but Gahng opened the door and allowed someone inside.

“My niece!” said Iroh. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

Azula scowled. “What are you doing here, Uncle?”

“I’m here to help you get a passport at the office! Suki told me how you and Arna got stuck in here, I apologize for not thinking that you might need a passport!”

Azula furrowed her brows. “Fine.”

Ling stood up and went over to Iroh. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Mushi! Jin speaks so highly of you!”

Iroh bowed to Ling and Gahng. “Jin is a wonderful young lady, and very perceptive! You should be proud to be her parents!”

Azula rolled her eyes. Jin ignored Azula and blushed at the praise.

“Please, come in, have some breakfast!”

Iroh held his hand up. “I’m sorry, but I must collect my niece and her friend. Thank you so much for your generosity welcoming them into your home.”

“It was our pleasure,” said Gahng. Azula highly doubted that. Jin’s parents were pleasant enough, but Azula’s sour mood made things very tense at dinner, and until everyone went to bed.

Iroh walked over to Azula and wrapped her in a hug that she made no effort to return. “Come, let’s get you situated.”

Azula stood up from the table, _youtiao_ in hand. She made to leave, but something tickled the back of her mind. Royal etiquette classes from years ago. It was custom to thank one’s hosts, though Azula’s hosts used to be nobles.

Still, Jin, Ling, and Gahng had opened up her home to her when she was stuck. She turned to them.

“Thank you very much for your hospitality,” she said, bowing. Azula bowed Fire Nation style, with her hands making a flame, but Jin’s parents didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re welcome, dear! Let us know if you ever need anything!”

Azula straightened and turned to her uncle. If she needed anything? What could Jin’s family possibly give her? She was a princess, living in the Upper Ring. She just happened to get stuck one day.

She did not voice her questions. Uncle looked to Jin.

“If you’d like, you can take an additional day off.”

Jin shook her head. “That’s okay, Mr. Mushi. I’d like to come in, though.” She smiled sweetly. Iroh smiled back.

Iroh bowed to Jin and her parents, then ushered Azula out of the house.

Arna thanked their hosts again, and trailed out behind her.

“Arna, you can return to the Upper Ring. Get some rest. I’ll see to everything from here.”

“Thank you very much, Gen—Mr. Mushi.”

Iroh handed Arna a silver piece. She tried to refuse, but he insisted that he pay for her transportation. Arna relented, thanking Iroh again and going off to the monorail station.

Azula remembered what Suki had told her the day before. The average wage for Lower Ringers was one silver piece. Was that how much it cost just for a ticket to the Upper Ring?

Iroh led Azula to the Transportation Office. There was a short line outside.

Azula crossed her arms and stood in line with Iroh. The office opened, and they slowly began to move indoors. Finally, it was Azula’s turn.

“Papers, please.”

Iroh pulled some folded-up papers from his sleeve and handed it to the Transportation Office lady. She looked it over, before gesturing to a waiting area.

“You are number 3,357. Come up when that number is called. NEXT!”

Azula tried to keep the number in mind. She sat in the waiting area, arms crossed. All she had to do was wait.

0-0-0

Ba Sing Se bureaucracy made no sense. Attendants yelled out different numbers with no apparent meaning or correlation to each other. If the numbers were just the amount of people who came through the office Azula would have understood, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

“642!” A tall, thin man with a mustache stood up when this number was announced.

“7,894!” A short, stout woman stood up.

“12!” An old man.

“329!” A child.

Azula could not make rhyme or reason out of the numbers. She was trying to when, at almost noon, her own number was called.

“3,357!”

“That’s us, niece.” Azula and Iroh stood and went to the window the attendant had called from.

“3,357?” asked the lady.

“Yes.”

The lady slid over the Earth Kingdom passport, a small wooden board with a tassel on the top, painted green with her fake name on it. Azula scowled at the characters written on it.

土國護照—洪面具

_Earth Kingdom Passport—Mianju Hong_

Azula didn’t realize her alias came with a surname, but she supposed it made sense. Uncle did own the finest tea establishment in the Upper Ring, after all. Even if his identity as “Mushi” came from new money, and not the kind of generational wealth that most people with surnames had.

Come to think of it, Azula didn’t actually have a surname herself. She supposed the dynasty name might serve as one, but the Royal Family didn’t really have any need for surnames. They were just “The Royals.” The dynasty name really just served to separate eras, and wasn’t really used for identity or status like the surnames of the Beifongs, or the Chous.

Iroh placed a hand on Azula’s shoulder and guided her out of the Transportation Office, and towards the monorail station.

She showed her passport to the ticket seller, and Iroh handed over two silver pieces. Azula once again thought of the average peasant’s daily pay.

“Uncle,” she said once Iroh purchased their tickets and they walked away from the ticket booth.

“Yes?”

“Does a ticket to the upper ring really cost a day’s wages for a peasant?”

Iroh looked at her, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Yes, it is quite difficult for someone from the Lower Ring to enter the Upper Ring. That’s part of why I helped Jin get a passport. I also give her a monthly pass to use on the monorail. That way she doesn’t need to spend so much of her own money on travel.”

Azula nodded, looking down at the ground.

The two of them boarded the monorail and returned to the Upper Ring.

0-0-0

Despite being exhausted, Azula couldn’t find it in herself to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow that night. She sat up in bed, lit the candle by her bedside with a flick of her wrist, and looked around. Her eyes landed on her green Earth Kingdom passport.

Something twisted in Azula’s stomach. She sat for a minute trying to figure out what it was. Disgust? Contempt?

It took her a while, but Azula slowly realized what she was feeling was homesickness. Here she was, in a foreign land, with only what her uncle and brother provided her. She had no possessions, not even her identity. The little wooden card that said “Mianju Hong” made it official.

Azula’s heart constricted, and she closed her eyes. She would not cry. She _would not cry_.

Her body ignored her silent commands as tears slipped down her face. Azula shuddered with a sudden intake of breath. She fought as best she could, but tiny, quiet sobs began to rack her body. She clutched her nightgown over her heart, leaning forward to try and stop the onslaught of tears.

Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, Conqueror of Ba Sing Se, fell asleep curled up on her futon, tears streaming down her face, whispering her name.

_“Azula. I am Azula.”_

In the next room over, her uncle heard her through the thin walls, and composed a letter to the Fire Lord.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A detail that is very easy to miss, especially if you don't read Chinese, but Zuko and Iroh's forged passports both have surnames on them! It's never said aloud, but the names on the passports are Mushi and Lee Hong! (Hong Li and Hong Mushi, since the passports are written with the surname first, like actual Chinese names are).
> 
> Youtiao (油條), pronounced "yo-tyao" is a real food! Commonly eaten for breakfast! It's made so you can tear it into sections like a Kit-Kat, but not everyone does (much like Kit-Kats lol). You can also dip them in things, like soy milk! 
> 
> Jin's family are named Ling (鈴) and Gahng (鋼). So, their names have meaning. It was never written down in the show, but I thought it would be nice if Jin's name were written as 金 (jīn), meaning "gold" (she does have a heart of gold). Ling's name 鈴 (líng) means "bell," and Gahng's name 鋼 (gāng) means "steel." They are all related to metal, and if you notice, both Ling and Gahng's written names have a tiny, squished version of Jin's name to the left of the character! (Gahng's name is pronounced with a long A, like in "father," if it wasn't clear).
> 
> Poor Azula, having an identity crisis. I wonder what Iroh is writing (I know exactly what he's writing, you'll see soon!)
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Comments are appreciated!


	11. Updates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Various people get and send updates.

Earth King Kuei sat on his throne and gave his best friend head scritches. Bosco tilted his head, allowing Kuei to reach that special spot between his ears that felt so good.

The King’s fancy doors opened, admitting a single Dai Li agent. The agent seemed to glide up the walkway, stopping before the throne and bowing with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Your Majesty,” said the agent.

The Earth King lifted his hand. “Rise, and make your report.”

Bosco made an annoyed grunt. Every time the Dai Li came, the scritches stopped. And they were so creepy!

Bosco didn’t like the Dai Li very much.

“Princess Azula continues to behave so far, but still shows clear signs of displeasure with her situation. She may or may not be formulating a plan to take you down.”

The Earth King considered this. “Not much change from the last report. Does she still practice her firebending?”

“Yes, almost every day. The only exception was yesterday and the day before. She spent the night at a home in the Lower Ring, and did not practice her bending come morning. The day before she slept in.”

The King nodded. “What was she doing in the Lower Ring?”

“The princess and her guards went clothes shopping in the Middle Ring. The princess was not aware that passports were required to access the Upper Ring and spent the night with a coworker who we believe already knows her identity. This was confirmed when the coworker woke the princess up using her real name, instead of her alias. The princess lashed out at first, but calmed down upon waking up fully. Her guard was with her the entire time.”

Kuei steepled his hands and processed what he was just told. Besides the highest Earth Kingdom officials, the Dai Li, her uncle, and her guards, at least one commoner knew who Azula really was. This commoner also happened to work with her. Kuei wondered how she found out.

“Make sure no one else finds out about the princess’ true identity,” he commanded the Dai Li agent.

The agent bowed. “As you wish. It is unlikely she will reveal herself further, as she already has obtained a passport with her alias for travel into the Upper Ring.”

Kuei nodded, making a mental note to review the process for obtaining a passport. It was important that Azula use a fake name, but the thought of others being able to obtain a passport with an alias made him uncomfortable. Untold problems could come about with that.

“Thank you. Do you have anything else to report?”

“There was an unusual increase of activity in the Lower Ring on the night the princess spent with the commoner. A number of people seemed to be sneaking around using earthbending. However, this seems unconnected with the princess, as they ignored the house she was in entirely.”

The Earth King waved his hand dismissively. “It was probably just some common criminals trying to stay out of sight. Nothing for the Dai Li to concern themselves with, leave it to the City Guard.”

The agent nodded his assent. “As you wish, Your Majesty. That is all.”

“You are dismissed.” The agent bowed once more and promptly turned, gliding his way out of the throne room. Kuei sat back on his throne. Bosco made a questioning noise.

“Two years ago, I was forced off my throne by a girl a little over ten years my junior. I was a foolish and weak king, blind to the machinations going on right under my nose.” Kuei turned to Bosco, looking his furry friend in the eyes. “I will not allow it to happen again.”

Bosco grunted an affirmative noise. He wanted to support his human however he could.

Kuei returned his hand to Bosco’s head and once more began to scratch him absentmindedly. Bosco leaned into the affection, but the King’s mind was far away.

“Never again,” he promised.

0-0-0

Zuko yawned as he looked through his mail. Reports, requests, nonsensical noble drama, all stuff that he didn’t feel up to opening.

“Zuko, do you really have to do this at the breakfast table?”

“I’m the Fire Lord, Mom. I’ve gotta—” he yawned “—do my duties.”

Kiyi giggled from next to him. “You said duty!”

“Kiyi, no potty talk at the breakfast table,” said Ursa. “And Zuko, no Fire Lord duties at the breakfast table.”

“But Mom—”

“No buts. Whatever it is can wait until after we’ve eaten. If there were anything truly important, they would inform you directly instead of giving it to you in a bundle of letters.”

Zuko yawned again and internally conceded the point. Kiyi giggled some more.

“You said ‘no butts,’ Mommy.”

“Kiyi,” said Noren sternly. “What did your mother just say about potty talk?”

Kiyi sighed and rested her head on her hand. “Not to do it at the table,” she grumbled.

Zuko set aside the messages he was reading and took up his chopsticks. Just as he was putting the food in his mouth, a servant came hurrying through the door.

“Your Majesty, a letter from General Iroh has arrived,” said the servant.

Zuko swallowed quickly. “Thank you,” he said, taking the letter and opening it.

This time his mother did not tell him to put it away. Zuko knew she was as eager as he was to hear updates about Azula. Recently, it seemed like Azula was doing tenuously okay. She clearly wasn’t happy, from Iroh and Suki’s letters, but she wasn’t going out of her way to cause trouble either. Zuko remembered long days of working at Pao’s Family Tea Shop, and how tiring it could be. Maybe that’s why Azula wasn’t trying anything; she just lacked the energy.

Zuko shook himself from his thoughts and turned his eyes to the paper.

_Dearest Nephew and Sister,_

_I wish I were writing with better news. Azula has been having an extremely difficult time recently._

_Not long ago, she and two of her Kyoshi guards went into the Middle Ring for shopping. Unfortunately, a passport is required for entry into the Upper Ring, and Azula did not know this. I myself neglected to get a passport for her, since I didn’t expect her to leave the Upper Ring._

_Azula was fine. She spent the night at Jin’s house, and in the morning, I was able to take her and get a passport._

_However, that night I heard her crying and whispering her name. I believe having an official document with her pseudonym is having an adverse effect on her. It sounded like she was having a crisis of identity. It hurt my heart to hear her crying, but I was unable to try to comfort her. I knew that any attempt to do so would only cause her to lash out, and draw herself in further. As difficult as it was to make that decision, I believe it is better for her to come to me when she is ready, rather than force consolation on her unwillingly._

_I know you two have not written for fear of arousing Azula’s anger and potentially unbalancing her mental health. I now think that may be an error. I can see that beyond the crisis of identity, Azula clearly misses the Fire Nation. She puts Fire Nation spices on every meal, and continues to wear her hair in the traditional topknot. I think it might be nice if you sent some things from home to help her through this difficult time. Something familiar._

_I also think it would be ideal to have a Fire Nation passport made up for her. Hearing her whisper her name over and over was truly heartbreaking, and I think it might be beneficial for her to have a written, official reminder of her name._

_I know this letter is full of sad news. If it is any consolation, Jin continues to get along with Azula. I think, in time, she may prove to be a true friend to Azula._

_Please, do not give up hope. I remember taking care of another teenager, full of anger and resentment. His progress was not linear, and neither will Azula’s be. She will have good days and bad days, and I will try to be here for her through it all._

_Love always,_

_Iroh_

Zuko frowned at the letter, and passed it to his mother to read. As Ursa’s eyes scanned the letter, tears began to slip down her face.

“Mommy? What’s wrong?” asked Kiyi.

Ursa sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. “Your sister is having a very difficult time in Ba Sing Se. I just… I feel so badly for her.”

Zuko also felt badly for Azula, but tried to keep in mind the words Iroh had written at the end of the letter. “Trust me, Mom, Azula will make it through. I did. I made many mistakes and faced many obstacles on my road to growth, and so will she. But I had Uncle, and so does she. She’ll be okay.”

Ursa took in a quick breath, pursing her lips and closing her eyes. Noren took her hand in his, gazing at his wife with sympathy and love. Zuko rubbed his chin, thinking to himself.

Kiyi looked at all the grown-ups around her.

“Why are you guys so sad? I thought Azula was mean to you, too.”

Zuko cringed, but he knew it was an innocent question. Kiyi had witnessed Azula try to kill their mother, and was later kidnapped by Azula for… some reason. Zuko still really couldn’t wrap his head around Azula’s goal that time. He sometimes wondered if she even understood her goal herself.

Plus, Kiyi was only seven. And she was raised in a healthy family. How could she comprehend the complexities of Azula’s situation?

Before he could explain, Ursa placed her arm across Kiyi’s shoulders, and looked Kiyi in the eye.

“She’s family, Kiyi. I’m her mother, I can’t just give up on her.”

Kiyi scrunched up her face. “But no one is trying to make Ozai good.”

Zuko wondered how she knew about that, then dismissed it. He had changed the school curriculum in his first year as Fire Lord, and children were much more perceptive than anyone gave them credit for.

Ursa winced at the mention of Ozai’s name, but leaned down to be closer to Kiyi.

“That’s different, Kiyi. Ozai was a grown man. He had every opportunity to choose to be good, but he ignored them.

“Azula, however, is still a child. She’s older than you, but still a child. And she was raised to believe that fighting was good, and that kindness was weak. It will be very hard for her to learn that kindness is not a weakness, and that she doesn’t always need to fight. She needs to be shown a better way. And even if she doesn’t choose to take it…” Ursa choked up a bit, but soldiered forward, “…we owe it to her to give her the choice. To choose kindness rather than violence. Does that make sense?”

Kiyi furrowed her brows. “I guess?”

Ursa smoothed Kiyi’s hair and kissed her forehead. “Azula is proof that I’m not lying when I say there is nothing that will ever make me stop loving you. Because I will never stop loving her.”

Kiyi nodded.

Zuko stood up, taking his plate with him. “I’m sorry to leave in the middle of breakfast, but I should get to work. I’m going to request a passport be made for Azula, and for the process to be expedited if possible. We should get that to her sooner rather than later.”

Ursa nodded. “I’ll see if I can find any of her old toys. Iroh said it might be good for her to have something familiar.”

“Do you really think she’ll appreciate toys?” asked Zuko, remembering how Azula burned the doll Iroh sent her during the Siege of Ba Sing Se.

“She probably won’t admit it, but if she misses home as much as Iroh makes it seem, then she’ll likely be happy to have familiar things. I’ll try to find her old blanket, too. And write down some Fire Nation recipes. That’ll taste better than just putting spices on everything.

Ursa was talking as much to herself as she was to Zuko. Zuko nodded and left the table, plate of food in one hand, stack of letters in the other.

“I’ll see you guys at lunchtime,” he said, before striding out into the hallway.

0-0-0

The former Dai Li agents holed up in an abandoned warehouse in the Lower Ring. Since there was no longer a war to deny, Dai Li presence in the Lower Ring was vastly reduced, and so chances of detection were also greatly reduced.

It hurt to be acting like common squatters, but this humiliation would pay off in time.

Long Feng sat down at an earthbent desk and penned a letter to the Dai Li agents still in the Fire Nation.

_My Brothers,_

_Our organization has been reduced to a shadow of what it once was._

_We have been humiliated by a weak king and a mere child. This cannot stand._

_I call on all my brothers-in-arms to ready themselves. Swear allegiance to me once more, and I will make sure we are avenged._

_The world will tremble at our feet. All we must do is wait for the proper time to strike._

_Then, we shall take down the puppet King and the Fire Lord in one fell swoop._

_Keep an ear to the ground._

_—Your Leader_

Long Feng didn’t even consider signing his own name. That would be basically giving himself away. He also did not mention the Dai Li by name. His agents would be able to read between the lines, and if his message was intercepted, it would likely be vague enough that it couldn’t be traced back to him.

Long Feng handed the message to an agent, who bowed and left to take it to the Fire Nation personally. As the Dai Li were still wanted fugitives in the Fire Nation, this was not the kind of message one could just strap to a messenger hawk and let fly. It would take a long journey to establish contact, and it would take longer still to hear a reply.

Oh well. Neutral jing. Waiting for the proper time was the ethos of earthbending.

Long Feng steepled his fingers. Now he would have to figure out _exactly_ how to go about retaking power. So many variables to consider, so many ways he could doom himself.

But Long Feng was nothing if not patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we finally get a peek into how others are perceiving the situation, and at what Iroh was writing at the end of Chapter 10. 
> 
> I want to make something clear: this fic is meant to be canon compliant even with the comics, (at least, the comics that have been released as of the publishing of this fic). I know people have issues with the comics, and I can see where they come from and believe everyone has a right to their opinions. Still, I enjoyed the comics. 
> 
> I'm not trying to bash Ursa or Kiyi. I think Ursa was trying her best in a tough situation, but hindsight is 20/20. Even in the comics she apologizes to Azula. As for Kiyi, I love her so much! She's so cute and sweet to Zuko! I'm worried that she comes off as annoying here, and I don't want that. First of all, as anyone with experience with young children knows, children like toilet humor, so that's why she's doing that. Also, as I mentioned, Kiyi watched Azula attempt to kill their mom, and was later kidnapped by Azula. Naturally, she would have problems with Azula, and not fully understand why her mother cares so much about Azula (Kiyi is only seven, after all).
> 
> I hope this came through clearly in my writing, but I'm just putting that here in case it didn't.
> 
> Please tell me what you think of this chapter! Comments are greatly appreciated! :D


	12. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula gets a glimpse of family, in more ways than one.

Azula ate her dumplings in the break room, trying to rest her aching feet. She was feeling especially annoyed recently. She narrowed her eyes at Jin, happily eating her lunch.

Ever since Jin had woken Azula up that night, in the midst of her nightmare, she had been perfectly decent to Azula.

What was her game?

Surely, she was trying to lull Azula into a false sense of security. She was going to try to use that moment of weakness against Azula. Azula remembered the nightmare she had woken up from. A nightmare she’s had many times.

_Orange flame circled the Agni Kai field. Azula was drowning in black water. Her limbs couldn’t move. Her knees chafed against the grate._

_“No!” she cried out. “Zuzu, please! NO!”_

_Zuko made the circular motions she knew so well, electricity sparking at his fingertips. He smiled at Azula, and she felt colder than she ever had before._

_“Zuko! NOOOOO!”_

Azula shook her head to banish the vision. She would not dwell on weakness.

Ever since that night, Jin had not treated Azula any different. And that was the weird thing. Surely, she should be throwing Azula knowing glances, pitying looks, sly smiles at knowing Azula’s secret.

Jin didn’t do any of that. She greeted Azula in the morning with a cheery wave, parted in the evening the same way, and smiled without any sign of duplicity or insincerity. Azula just couldn’t understand. No way anyone could be that genuinely _sweet_.

0-0-0

Jin did her best to continue treating Azula the same. She knew the princess probably wouldn’t want to be treated any different. She had already commanded Jin to keep it a secret, and she probably wouldn’t want any attention brought to anything being out of the ordinary. So, she felt determined to treat Azula no differently than she had before.

She noticed Azula watching her more than before. Jin tried to disarm the tension by smiling sweetly at Azula, who would scoff and turn away. Jin hoped everything was alright.

She remembered that Azula had muttered “Zuzu” in her sleep. Did her nightmare have anything to do with Fire Lord Zuko? He had seemed so awkward and silly and kind as Lee. What had the Fire Lord done to Azula to make her fear him in her sleep?

Jin tried not to dwell on such things. It wasn’t her business. Azula clearly wanted it to be forgotten, so Jin would do her best to forget. It was the least she could do.

0-0-0

The day was the same as any other she experienced. Azula was on counter duty, frowning at the notebook where they recorded sales, and thinking it would be better if they included which tea they sold in the record, when _they_ came in.

A Fire Nation family.

Azula sat up. This was her first glimpse of home since…

Well, technically Uncle, but did he really count when he settled so well into the Earth Kingdom? And she had the spicy noodle mix, but that wasn’t a person.

These, these were her _people_.

She stood up at the counter. Jin immediately came over.

“You take care of them, I’ll get the counter,” said Jin.

Azula made her way over to the Fire Nation family. A mother, a father, a young boy, and an even younger girl, all dressed in that beautiful, beautiful red she missed so much.

Azula approached them, bowing in a Fire Nation style. “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. May I interest you in any of our specials?”

“Let me guess, jasmine?” laughed the father.

“Honey!” said the wife, giving the husband a playful slap on the arm. She turned to Azula. “Yes, we’d love to hear the specials.”

Azula listed the specials for them. The little girl was looking up at her the entire time. She tried to ignore it, but the girl’s gaze bored into her.

As she finished, and the parents thought about their order, the little girl spoke up.

“You’re so pretty!” she said, with wide, honey-colored eyes.

Azula stared at the girl. It was something she heard time and time again from customers, and she knew it, but something about hearing it from a Fire National made her feel warm inside. Azula barely knew what to do. Her mouth twitched into an awkward smile.

“Th… thank you…”

“I love the way you do your hair,” said the mother. “It reminds me of the Fire Nation.”

Azula felt her heart clench. _Home._

“I… I am a Fire National.”

“Really?” asked the mother.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Of _course_ , Mom! Didn’t you see the way she bowed! She made the flame with her hands!”

Azula smirked at the boy. Her efforts, however tiny, did not go unnoticed.

“What is your name, dear?” asked the mother. Azula almost responded with her actual name, before faltering.

“A—Mianju. My name is Mianju.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mianju. I am Kei, and this is my husband Jian, and our children, Lu and Hina,” said the mother, gesturing to the boy and girl respectively. “How did you come to Ba Sing Se?”

“I am here with my uncle,” said Azula. Not a lie, but not the whole truth either.

Kei nodded. “Yes, it’s quite a magnificent city.”

Azula didn’t answer that. She hated Ba Sing Se. She hated Ba Sing Se for a long, long time, even before she was forced to come.

“Mommy, can I try the bubble tea?” asked Hina. Kei turned to Azula.

“What is bubble tea?” she asked.

Azula bit back her grimace. She had never tried the stuff, but she thought it sounded ridiculous.

“It’s tea with a generous portion of milk, served with tapioca pearls which give it its ‘bubble’ name,” explained Azula.

Hina’s eyes widened. “Wow! Can I get it, Mommy? Can I?”

Kei nodded. If you really want to, dear. Why don’t you order from Miss Mianju, like a big girl?”

Hina turned to Azula. “Miss Mianju, can I have a bubble tea, please?”

Hina was, objectively, adorable. Azula, who had zero positive experience with small children, did not know what to do when faced with such pure cuteness. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest, and the corners of her mouth quirked.

“Which flavor?” she asked.

Hina’s eyes, somehow, got even wider. “There are different _flavors_?”

“Yes. There’s the classic version, which uses plain black tea and milk, taro, moon peach, pear, strawberry…”

“Ooo, strawberry! Can I have strawberry? Please?”

Azula nodded, then looked over to the son, Lu.

“Um, could I have the, uh, taro bubble tea?” he asked.

Azula noted their orders on the small notepad she held. She looked to the parents.

“That honestly sounds quite interesting,” said Kei. “I think I’ll get a classic bubble tea. Honey?”

She turned to her husband.

“I’ll have a classic as well,” said Jian.

Azula wrote these down and went over to the window that connected the kitchens to the main dining area.

“She’s very cute, isn’t she?” asked Jin’s voice.

Azula turned around and glared at Jin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That little girl,” Jin said, nodding her head in the direction of Hina. “She’s adorable.”

Azula rolled her eyes.

“Don’t pretend like I can’t see that smile,” said Jin.

“What?” Azula suddenly became aware of her own facial muscles. She was smiling! And she didn’t even know about it!

Azula schooled her expression back to neutrality. Who was she, Ty Lee?

Turning back towards the window, Azula tore the page out of her notepad and handed it to Uncle, who scanned the orders. He was grinning.

“Ah, it seems my bubble tea idea is catching on!” he said. Azula rolled her eyes again and left to wait on the other tables.

A short while later, Azula brought the family their orders. Four cups of bubble tea, each with a wooden straw, made their way from her tray to the family’s table. The family members thanked her, and began to drink their tea.

The boy took one large sip before promptly spitting it out. “What the heck _is_ that?” he said aloud.

Azula didn’t register what he said, because he managed to spit right onto her apron.

_Ew. Ew. Ew ew ew ew ew—_

“Lu!” scolded the mother, before turning to Azula. “I’m so sorry about that, dear, please, let me…”

Kei reached out with a napkin and dabbed Azula’s apron. Azula stood there, shocked. Then, Kei placed her hand directly on the wet spot. Azula felt warmth on her stomach, and steam rolled off of the apron from underneath Kei’s hand.

Azula met Kei’s gaze. Kei smiled sweetly.

“Firebending can be very useful. I also like to heat up the bath water with my bending, nothing feels more heavenly than a hot bath…”

Azula could agree, but she was too busy trying to reboot her brain. First of all, she could have been drying her clothes with her bending this whole time, instead of hanging them on a clothesline? That would save her so much time! It clearly took great control though, not to burn the clothing.

Secondly, and more importantly, Kei didn’t seem to realize that Azula was also a firebender. Azula was probably the best firebender in the world. Zuko hadn’t beaten her in an Agni Kai, the Water Peasant did. And yet the very thing Azula spend so much time and effort to perfect, Kei didn’t even suspect she had! Princess Azula was the greatest firebender in the world.

Tea Server Mianju Hong was not.

Kei removed her hand from the apron. The formerly wet spot was now completely dry, nary a scorch mark to be seen.

“There you go, dear, good as new,” said Kei. “I’m so sorry about that. Please forgive my son, he is very sensitive to new textures in his food.”

Azula could hear Jian chiding Lu just behind Kei. “I know it feels weird, but you can’t do that. If you need to spit something out, try to do it into the cup, or in a napkin. Apologize to Miss Mianju.”

Lu looked at Azula, face as red as his clothes. “Sorry, Miss Mianju.”

Azula nodded at him. What was she supposed to say? It wasn’t alright. She wanted to slap that child into next week. But she couldn’t make a scene, couldn’t attract the attention of the Dai Li (Azula could feel the prickling on her neck that signaled she was being closely watched. She had no idea where the Dai Li were, but they were never far), and she couldn’t lay her hands on one of her countrymen after so long away from the Fire Nation. Was it really a month and a half already?

“Mmm! This is really good!” said Hina. Azula broke eye contact with Lu and looked to the little girl, happily slurping her bubble tea. “The bubbles feel funny in my mouth!”

Azula nodded at the family. “If that is all, I will be on my way.” She bowed to them, and went off to tend to someone else.

0-0-0

Back at their hotel, the Fire Nation family relaxed.

“That bubble tea was very interesting,” said Kei. “I didn’t expect it to be so good, but I was surprised.”

“I liked the bubbles!” said Hina. Lu rolled his eyes.

“The bubbles were stupid. Ruined the whole thing. Kept trying to sneak into my mouth.”

Hina stuck out her tongue at Lu. “At least _I_ didn’t spit all my tea out onto Mianju!”

“Shut up!”

“Kids,” said Jian sternly. Both children looked bashful.

“Sorry,” they said together.

“That Mianju girl was quite interesting too,” said Kei.

Hina perked right up. “She was so pretty! She looked like a princess!”

Kei nodded. “Yes, she was very cute. She reminded me of someone, though. I just can’t for the life of me figure out who.”

0-0-0

Two days after the family came in, it was Azula’s day off again. She sat in the living area of the apartment, quietly reading _Secret Tunnel of Love_.

She didn’t like it. She _didn’t_. But she already got so far into the book, she might as well see it through. Princess Azula wasn’t a quitter, after all.

Speaking of, she wished Suki would quit looking at her with barely veiled amusement. It was distracting. And irritating.

“Stop staring at me,” said Azula for the millionth time.

“No thanks,” replied Suki.

Azula scowled and shifted slightly to the left. The sun was warmer in that spot.

A knock came from the door. “Delivery for Mianju?” said the voice on the other side.

Azula frowned. Delivery? She wasn’t expecting anything. Who would send her something?

She padded over to the door and opened it. Taking the box, she turned back into the apartment and looked at it, confused. Hesitantly, she opened the lid. The Kyoshi Warriors were looking intently at her.

Immediately, Azula shut the lid and ran to her room.

“Azula!” Suki called out. Azula ignored her, slamming the door shut behind her. “Azula!”

“Leave me alone!” Azula hissed. She could hear the floorboards creak outside of her room, but the warriors did not open the door. At least she had that tiny semblance of privacy.

Azula ripped the box open once more. She couldn’t believe what she was looking at.

She ignored the two letters folded up inside the box, and took out the tiny red booklet with a shiny, golden three-pointed flame on the cover. A Fire Nation passport. She opened it to the first page.

名：阿祖拉

位：公主

_Name: Azula_

_Title: Princess_

Azula couldn’t believe it. Her name. _Her_ name. In bold characters, right there, in an official document.

She looked down the rest of it.

_Date of Birth: 21 st day of the 6th month of the 65th year of the Reign of Fire Lord Azulon_

_Place of Birth: Royal Caldera City_

_Nationality: Fire Nation_

_Sex: Female_

_Hair: Dark Brown_

_Eyes: Gold_

_Bending Status: Firebender_

_Signature of Holder: _________________

_The holder of this passport is under the protection of the Fire Nation. All whom it may concern are hereby requested to permit the citizen of the Fire Nation named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection._

Azula felt tears prickle in her eyes. There it was. Printed in ink, there it was. She was Azula. She was a princess of the Fire Nation. She was a firebender. Her vision blurred, and Azula could no longer contain the tears. She let out a shaky breath as she wiped her face.

_Compose yourself. You are not weak._

Azula opened her eyes and took the letters out of the box. Her eyes widened when she saw what was underneath the letters.

An old, somewhat ratty, turtleduck plushie.

_Hotman Waddles?_

Azula tenderly took out the toy from the box. It was old, its colors had faded, and one of the legs had clearly been ripped off and sewn back on again.

Azula had that toy since she was a baby. When she was three, she named the turtleduck “Hotman Waddles,” as she thought the outdated term was the peak of comedy back then.

She threw the plushie out of her room when she was five. She had been bending for nearly a year, and she was a “big girl” who “didn’t need dumb toys.” She thought it had been thrown out, or burned, or something.

What kind of power play was this?

Azula put down the turtleduck plushie and picked up the first letter. It was from Zuko.

_Dear Azula,_

_I hope this finds you well. Uncle’s been keeping us updated, and he had a feeling that you missed the Fire Nation._

_He requested that we send a Fire Nation passport, which I have placed in this package. Mom is also sending other things from the Fire Nation that you might want. I’m not exactly sure what, since she’s the one putting this package together, but hopefully it helps._

_You will notice in your passport that it still says that you are a princess. That is not a mistake. Your title has not been rescinded. I hope that sometime, you’ll be able to come home._

_Honorably,_

_Your Brother,_

_Zuko_

Azula felt tears prickle her eyes again. _Stupid Zuzu,_ she thought. _So sentimental._

She picked up the other letter and felt a twinge at the sight of her mother’s curly calligraphy.

_Dearest Daughter,_

_Iroh told me that you’re having difficulty adjusting to Ba Sing Se. I understand how it feels to be a stranger in a strange place._

_I’ve put together this care package for you. I hope this helps you feel less homesick._

_I’ve included two Fire Nation National Flags. One small one on a stick, that you can easily wave or place wherever, and one standard-sized one for you to pin to the wall of your bedroom. Don’t tell Zuko, but I actually took one of the official ones that they raise outside of the palace every morning. I figure they won’t miss one flag out of however many they use._

_I’ve also included a book with Fire Nation recipes, and I’ve marked which pages have your favorites, as well as recipes that I don’t know if you’ve had but that I think you would like. I know Fire Nation spices might be hard to come by in the Earth Kingdom, so I’ve included several small bottles of those as well._

_Lastly, I found Hotman Waddles. I know you’re almost an adult (the legal age of majority has been reset to eighteen, like it was before the reign of Fire Lord Azulon), but I figured you might want something familiar. I was looking for something that you used to own, and one of the servants told me she had saved some of the old toys that you had thrown away. I remember how much you loved Hotman Waddles as a child, and I figured he was an ideal companion. He won’t judge, or condescend, or give bad advice. He won’t tell anyone if you cry, or get angry, or feel happy, or hug him. I know it might seem silly, but I hope our esteemed Hotman brings you some comfort._

_Please let me know if there is anything else you would like. Is there anything that is difficult to get in the Earth Kingdom that you would like me to send to you? Any books or plays you would like to read? Anything I can do for you?_

_I love you, Azula. If you ever need or want anything, just ask. I am here for you._

_I love you forever,_

_Mom_

Azula’s breathing hitched. She dug through the box.

Sure enough, bottles of spice, a cookbook, and two folded-up Fire Nation flags were in there. Azula felt her breathing speed up.

Her mother remembered Hotman Waddles after all this time? Someone had saved it? She remembered her father telling her that she had to be strong, that she didn’t need stuffed animals or toys. And now her mother sends her a toy that she thought was long gone, that she secretly regretted throwing away?

Azula felt a hollowness grow in her chest. Tears slipped freely down her face. Her breathing became erratic. She felt warm and empty and confused all at the same time.

She wanted to hate her mother. To rage and say she didn’t need any of this. But her mother had just sent her the things she secretly wanted, even if she never admitted it.

Not even to herself.

Azula picked up Hotman Waddles and hugged him to her chest as tiny sobs racked her body. Hotman Waddles felt like home.

0-0-0

Suki and Rin stood at attention outside Azula’s room. They could hear her crying.

Rin shot Suki a look with an arched eyebrow, one that said, _Should we do something about this?_

Suki shook her head. _Let her have privacy,_ she thought.

Rin glanced at the door, curious what was in the box.

Suki stared straight ahead, trying not to feel any sympathy for the monster behind the door. The monster that (almost) killed Aang and imprisoned her girls. The monster that liked trashy romance novels and lounging in warm spots on the couch. The monster that sounded like her heart was cracking into pieces.

It wasn’t working very well.

0-0-0

Iroh came home that night to a silent house. He couldn’t see Azula or the Kyoshi Warriors anywhere.

He made his way into the house, wondering if they were out shopping again. His unspoken question was answered when he saw Rin and Arna standing outside the door to Azula’s room.

The two warriors nodded to him, and silently made their way over. “She’s been in there all day,” whispered Rin. “She had some lunch, but hasn’t come out. She was crying earlier. I think she’s asleep now.”

Iroh nodded. “Thank you both. Give Suki my best.”

The two warriors nodded and left the apartment. Iroh tiptoed over to Azula’s room.

“Azula?” he said softly, rapping the door with his knuckles. No response.

“Azula, I’m going to open the door, okay?” Silence.

Iroh nudged the door open as gently as he could. He saw Azula curled up on the futon, breathing evenly, a blanket over her. A box laid open next to her bed.

Wrapped in her arms was an old stuffed turtleduck plushie.

Iroh smiled and pulled the door closed as quietly as he could manage. It seemed her Fire Nation mementos had arrived. Iroh was truly pleased to see Hotman Waddles again. He remembered when Azula would make Lu Ten have tea parties with the turtleduck plushie when she was three or four. Lu Ten always had pretended that Hotman Waddles was a real person, and would even ask how “the esteemed Hotman” was doing. Both of them were saddened when Azula said she threw him away because “big girls don’t need toys.”

And if big girls don’t need toys, then Iroh will pretend he saw nothing at all. Knowing that his niece could once more hug an old friend was more than enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, according to the Avatar Wiki, Azula was born 85 years after the Air Nomad genocide. The reign of Fire Lord Azulon started 20 years after the Air Nomad Genocide. Doing the math, that means she was born in the 65th year of his reign. I figured the Fire Nation would keep track of the years by using the reign of the ruler as the metric. Also, I made her birthday June 21, which is the day the summer solstice most often falls on (I liked the theory that Azula was born on the summer solstice, while Zuko was born in the winter, perhaps even on the winter solstice). 
> 
> I hope everything came across well! Please let me know what you think! Comments are very appreciated! :D


	13. Earth and Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula meets an old enemy. Long Feng continues to plot.

Long Feng listened to the reports given to him by his followers. Two more nobles secretly pledging their loyalty to him.

Long Feng knew many things from his time in the Dai Li. Many secrets. Secrets that nobles would do anything to avoid spilling out.

Just hinting that they knew those secrets made for oh-so-easy blackmail.

The difficult part was getting the message out. They had to be careful not to attract the attention of the new Dai Li, whose presence was much more common in the Upper Ring than in the Lower Ring. Long Feng could only send two or three agents at a time, and they had to be careful not to arouse suspicion. They had to choose their targets strategically, hitting the nobles with the most skeletons in their closets first, making sure not to go to too many houses in a single visit. Progress was slow, but Long Feng knew not to rush. Neutral jing would win the day.

Long Feng took note that there was one apartment complex that had a much higher concentration of new Dai Li than any other in the Upper Ring. It wasn’t a major target, since most nobles had large houses of their own, with vast courtyards, rather than living in an apartment building, but it was curious. There seemed to be a major concentration of new Dai Li around a certain tea shop as well. Long Feng wondered what was going on there. Were they fronts for something? He might have to send someone to check it out.

He wanted every bit of ammunition he could get his hands on to take down the king.

0-0-0

Iroh noticed Azula’s mood improved significantly after receiving Ursa’s care package. Part of it may have been the food. Azula used to put generic Fire Nation spices from the noodle packets over all her food, but now she could season her food properly with specific spices and herbs. Iroh himself felt happy to finally be able to cook some of his favorite foods again.

Iroh knew another part of it was Hotman Waddles. Azula never said anything about the toy, and Iroh never gave any indication that he knew about it, but Iroh knew Hotman Waddles was helping. The difference was in the lack of noise from Azula’s room at night. Iroh didn’t have to see her hugging the turtleduck to know that she was sleeping more soundly, and having nightmares less often. Not that her nightmares were completely gone, but they happened less.

He will admit, he was a little alarmed at first when he glanced up from the apartment courtyard into Azula’s window one day and could clearly see a ginormous Fire Nation National Flag pinned to the wall. Did Ursa send one of the official Palace Flags? It was huge!

He calmed down quickly, however, reminding himself that the war was over and that being a Firebender in the Earth Kingdom was no longer a crime. Openly flying a Fire Nation flag was no longer a cause for suspicion.

Iroh was so happy that things were looking up for his niece. The past few days had been very pleasant, indeed.

So of course, it would all come crashing down at some point. After all, no one was more adept at knocking things over more than Toph Beifong.

0-0-0

Toph was a simple girl. She liked earthbending. She liked yelling. She liked getting a rise out of others. And she liked Uncle Iroh’s tea.

Did it matter that she was in no way related to Uncle Iroh? No, no it did not. He was simply Uncle to everyone.

And the Jasmine Dragon was the best place to relax in Ba Sing Se. If she was going to have to be here on business for the Earthen Fire Refinery, she might as well spend some time in the one place that wasn’t lousy with Dai Li.

The thing was, Toph could sense a number of Dai Li around the Jasmine Dragon. She knew because she could sense their stone boots and gloves. They were clustered around, seemingly watching the joint. What was going on?

Cautiously, she stepped into the tea shop. She felt footsteps approaching her that seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. And then a very familiar, drawling voice spoke.

“Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, how may I help… Oh, sh—”

Toph grinned. She didn’t know what Azula was doing here, or whether Zuko was even aware of this, but seeing that nothing was on fire and the heartbeat of everyone around her was calm, she felt that the people in charge of Azula had everything under control.

Which meant that Toph could have some _fun_.

0-0-0

Azula didn’t know what the blind earthbending child was doing at the tea shop, but she didn’t like the look of that manic grin on her face.

“Well, well, well,” said Toph. “We meet again, Hotcakes.”

Azula’s left eye twitched. _Hotcakes?_

“I must admit, it’s kinda weird seeing you here… pun not intended. Last I heard, you decided to try your hand at kidnapping.”

Azula grabbed the Beifong girl’s arm. “Keep quiet! Other people are around!” Fortunately, the background chatter seemed to drown out the Beifong girl’s words.

“Oh, sorry, wouldn’t want to get ya in trouble,” said the Beifong girl sarcastically.

Azula narrowed her eyes.

Suki approached them from behind Azula and called out to the Beifong girl. “Toph! It’s so good to see you!”

Azula realized that she hadn’t known the Beifong girl—Toph’s—name. In fact, she didn’t think she knew the names of anyone in the group that brought down the Fire Nation except Zuko. They were simply the Avatar, the Waterbender, the Water Peasant, the Blind Girl (sometimes the Beifong Girl), and eventually the Kyoshi Warrior. Their names weren’t important.

“I would say it’s great to see you, but… ya know…” Toph waved her hand in front of her face.

“Come on, I’m sitting back here,” said Suki, casually taking Toph’s hand and guiding her to the back of the dining area near the counter. Azula followed along. She knew that since she was the one who greeted Toph, she was the one who would be stuck serving her.

Of course Azula just had to walk up to Toph while looking at something in her notepad. If she knew who had entered, she would have stayed far away.

Toph and Suki settled down at their table, and Azula stood beside them. Toph still wore that manic grin. “So, what’s Hotcakes doing here?”

 _What is with this child and dumb nicknames?_ wondered Azula.

“Iroh’s idea. He wanted to help her rehabilitate. Zuko agreed, and when they caught Azula, they shipped her over here, with me and two other Kyoshi Warriors as guards.”

Toph chuckled. Turning her head ever so slightly in Azula’s direction, she asked, “How’s the new job treating you?” She didn’t look at Azula, keeping her milky gaze aimed down towards the floor.

Azula pursed her lips. “Just. Peachy.”

“I wonder who’s better at making tea, you or Zuko? Of course, Uncle’s is the best, but I wonder who’s better between you two?”

Azula felt a twinge of possessiveness. _He’s MY Uncle!_

“What. Would you like. To order?” Azula grumbled.

“Just tell Uncle that Toph’s here. He knows what I like.”

Azula gripped her notepad so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She turned from the table with military precision, and went to find Iroh.

“He’s not _your_ Uncle,” she grumbled.

0-0-0

As Azula stalked away, grumbling something about uncles, Suki smiled at Toph, who was obviously a kindred spirit in the “Annoy Azula Game.”

“Just so you know,” Suki said in a low voice, “she’s Mianju now.”

“Huh?”

“Her name. She goes by Mianju. Can you imagine Ba Sing Se nobles getting served tea by the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se?”

Toph snorted. “I’d love to see that happen.”

“Just letting you know. We don’t want to cause a scene,” said Suki. “Besides the Kyoshi Warriors, the Dai Li are also watching her.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

Suki blinked. She often forgot about Toph’s seismic sense, which was often more useful than actual sight.

“So, has she actually been improving? Not kidnapping any babies or trying to kill the Avatar?”

Suki chuckled. She still had no idea what the end goal of the whole Kemurikage thing was supposed to be. “I mean, she’s been serving tea and stuff, so she doesn’t really have time to pursue any evil plans… but, she’s still…”

Suki was about to say, “pretty awful,” but an image flashed in her mind of Azula reading that trashy romance novel on the couch. Of Azula unconsciously following the sun’s warm spot as the day went on. Of Azula’s door, shut tight, but still not enough to lock in the sound of her crying.

“You okay, Fans?” asked Toph. “It feels like you zoned out for a second.”

Suki shook her head. “Yeah, sorry about that. I guess she’s… kinda… mellowed out. Just a bit. She’s still Azula. But on her off days she mostly reads this trashy romance novel.”

Toph’s unseeing eyes widened. “Tell. Me. Everything.”

Suki grinned. “Okay, it’s this book called _Secret Tunnel of Love_. I’ve tried to read it, but I only got halfway through since it was so bad! Azula, though, she’s almost finished the book!”

“Wow, bad how?”

“The dialogue is so over the top and cringey. Like, no one actually talks like that. And there’s so much description of the guy’s abs. It seems like every other scene he’s shirtless for no reason.”

Toph started laughing.

“Seriously!” said Suki. “Sometimes, he would begin the scene wearing a shirt, and end the scene not wearing one, but nowhere in the scene did he take off his shirt! It just, magically disappears for some reason!”

Toph smacked the table, she was laughing so hard. Some of the other customers looked over at them, but neither Suki nor Toph paid them any mind.

“I tried to finish it, I really did, but I just couldn’t take it the sheer ridiculousness of it all. So, I put it down, and never picked it back up.”

Toph wiped a tear from her eye. “And Hotcakes has just been eating this stuff up?”

Suki nodded. “Yep.”

“Hoooo, boy. That was good. I needed a laugh.” Toph wiped another tear from her eye as Iroh and Azula made their way over, Azula carrying a tray of tea.

“Miss Beifong! How wonderful it is to see you!” said Iroh.

“Uncle!” Toph sprang up from her seat and wrapped her arms around him. Suki noticed that Toph was now slightly taller than Iroh, and almost the same height as Azula. Azula placed the tray down on the table with a _clink_.

Toph sat back down, feeling around the table tentatively for the tea. Suki discreetly pushed the teacup towards Toph’s fingers. Toph took the cup and drank a sip of tea.

“Perfect as always,” she smiled.

Azula stomped off somewhere as Iroh pulled up a seat. Sometimes, Iroh would chat with customers he knew well, and he was always happy to engage Toph in conversation.

Suki saw Azula wander into the staff’s break room. She wondered if she should follow after to make sure everything was alright. Azula had been a little more pleasant recently, but she was clearly not happy to see Toph.

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Jin also start to head towards the break room. That was good. It had surprised Suki, but Jin seemed especially adept at handling Azula.

0-0-0

Azula flopped down on one of the couches in the break room and rubbed her temples.

 _Control yourself,_ she thought. _Control yourself._

Sure, Uncle seemed to be more excited to see some dirt-eating child than his own niece, but what else was new? No one wanted Azula.

Azula heard the door open and saw Jin come in out of the corner of her eye. Jin looked around the break room, before approaching Azula.

“Azula?” she whispered. “Are you alright?”

Azula sniffed and turned her head away from Jin. “I’m perfectly fine. Why do you care?”

“I just wanted to make sure. You seemed pretty angry out there.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Jin sat down next to Azula. Azula glared at her.

“You know, if you need to talk about anything, I’m here.”

Azula scoffed.

“Why would I ever want to talk to you?”

Jin looked at Azula with sad eyes. “It’s not healthy to keep things bottled up.”

“I’m not weak!” snarled Azula.

“I never said you were.”

Azula glared at Jin. “It was implied.”

“Where?”

“What do you mean?”

Jin shook her head. “I honestly have no idea how I implied you were weak. Where did I imply that?”

Azula scoffed and stood up. “I’m going to take out the trash.”

She stalked off, not seeing how Jin looked after her with wide eyes. Azula _never_ took out the trash.

A short while after she left the break room, Azula hauled the bag of garbage out the back and threw it into the alley. As she turned around to go back inside, she heard a gasp.

She looked back into the alley. No one was there. On a whim, she looked up, and saw the silhouette of a single Dai Li agent on a nearby rooftop. She knew there were at least ten more out of sight.

“Oh, what are you looking at?” she snarled at the agent. The silhouette moved back a little, as if surprised that she was talking to him.

Azula made a rude hand gesture at the shadow and stomped back inside.

0-0-0

Iroh hummed happily as he fixed dinner. He noticed Azula was unhappy, so he tried making one of her favorites. He was quite grateful for the cookbook Ursa sent. Once he finished, he set a plate down in front of her, but she turned her head away from it.

“What’s wrong, niece?” asked Iroh.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Do you really have to ask that, Uncle?”

Iroh looked at his niece. “You seemed to be in a better mood recently. I can tell something is bothering you. What is it?”

“Why don’t you ask the feral earthbending child you adopted?”

Iroh blinked. “Is this about Toph? I think it is more accurate to say she adopted me.”

“Oh, shut up. It’s not like you don’t have precedent for cozying up to the dirt-eaters.”

Iroh frowned. “Azula, I must ask that you don’t use such language—”

“Why shouldn’t I?” screeched Azula. “After all the loyal Fire Nation soldiers they killed? Buried alive to suffocate in the dirt? After all the reports of firebenders permanently crippled by crushing their hands between rocks? Even their own citizens! We didn’t do that to our earthbending citizens in the colonies!” Azula slammed her hands on the table and partially stood up.

Iroh was quite shocked. Azula always put on an air of nonchalance, so seeing her so passionately angry was quite a surprise.

“How can you stand to be here, playing tea party with the Earth King, when they took your own son? How could you not burn down this city to avenge him?” Azula spat.

Her words pierced Iroh’s heart like cold fire. For a second, he was back in the fields of the Agrarian Zone, cradling his son’s crushed body. Emptiness seeped into his bones, replaced momentarily with white-hot rage.

But Iroh controlled himself. Azula was also in his care, and she was obviously hurting and lashing out, just like Zuko did. So, he controlled himself, and looked his niece in the eye.

“What is hurting you, Azula? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

Azula flipped her bowl of noodles onto the floor. “I don’t want your help. You’re even worse than a dirt-eater! You’re a Dragon who decided to wallow in the mud.” Azula stood up from the table and stomped away to her room.

Iroh heaved a heavy sigh. He would spend long hours that night trying to puzzle out exactly what was setting off Azula. Could she be feeling replaced by Toph? Even if that were part of it, Iroh knew that the answers would not be simple, since Azula’s issues ran much deeper than simple homesickness and jealousy.

He took a bite of food. It was wonderfully seasoned and cooked to perfection. It tasted like ash in his mouth.

0-0-0

“Sir, I have an urgent report,” the former Dai Li agent said to Long Feng.

Long Feng nodded.

“I scoped out the tea shop like you asked. It is the one that belonged to the Dragon of the West, when he was hiding out here.” The agent looked up. “The reason there are so many Dai Li around it is because Princess Azula is there.”

Long Feng frowned. “What?”

“I saw her with my own eyes. She appears to be an employee there. It’s likely that she stays in the apartment complex that is also under heavy surveillance.”

“Are you sure of this?” demanded Long Feng.

“I swear on the graves of my ancestors, I know what I saw. I will never forget those piercing eyes.”

Long Feng shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. He turned around to face his earthbent desk, slowly and carefully. Letting out a roar, he bent the earth to overturn the desk with a deafening crash. He turned around to face the agent, huffing.

“I will not have her wiggle her way into my plans again. We must be vigilant. There is no telling what she might be trying to do.”

The agent bowed. “As you wish, sir.”

The agent left Long Feng with his destroyed desk. Long Feng quickly began retooling his plans. Now he would have to account for Azula.

Was she trying to take down the Earth King too? Maybe if she weakens him first, Long Feng can swoop in as the “savior.” At the very least, he could try to provoke her into doing something that would put the new Dai Li’s focus on her, rather than him. The one thing he absolutely would not do, however, was try to ally with her.

Princess Azula had no allies. She only had enemies or followers. She had been his downfall once, and he would not stand for it to happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Long Feng knows that Azula's in the city. In case it wasn't clear, Azula never saw the agent that reported to Long Feng (he was the one who gasped). The agent on the roof that she snapped at is one of the new Dai Li that serves the Earth King.
> 
> I hope it's not coming across as bashing Toph and Suki! That is absolutely not my intention! Toph's adverse affect on Azula's mood is mostly unintentional (because Toph just wants to get a rise out of her, not cause her to feel replaced or have a breakdown). Suki has many complex feelings about Azula, and is trying to parse through them. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Comments are appreciated! :D


	14. Mission: Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jin makes it her personal mission to be Azula's friend.

Jin gathered up her courage and sat down next to Azula in the break room. Azula eyed her warily.

“How are you doing, today?” asked Jin.

“Piss off,” said Azula.

Jin frowned, before putting on a smile again. They were the only two in the break room, so she didn’t have to worry about people overhearing.

“So, what’s the Fire Nation like?”

Azula glared at Jin.

“I mean, I’ve never been outside of Ba Sing Se. My parents are refugees, or I guess were, since they put down roots here and all, and they’ve told me about their hometowns. I’m just curious about your home, is all.”

“Shut up.” Azula snapped.

Jin shrugged. “It must be difficult to be so far from home. I know my parents felt that way when they first came to Ba Sing Se. But, it’s really a nice city—”

Azula barked out a sharp laugh. “Nice? This is the worst city in the world. Filled with incompetent bureaucrats and corrupt secret police and crowded slums. Nothing good could ever come out of this city.”

It was quite mean, but it was a start. “Well, my parents found each other. They found love. Surely it’s not all bad.”

Azula glared at Jin again. Her eyes were cold. “My Uncle should have burned this city to the ground when he had the chance.”

Jin felt a twinge of fear. She remembered those days. The Dai Li keeping everyone silent. The mysterious disappearances. The way her parents fervently prayed as the Dragon of the West hammered at the walls for six hundred days. No one could speak of the war, but everyone, especially the refugees, knew it was happening.

Now, she worked in the tea shop owned by that very same Dragon of the West, and was trying to befriend the Conqueror of Ba Sing Se. Life took weird turns, sometimes.

“What makes you say that?” Jin asked.

Azula sniffed. “Ask him.”

0-0-0

Jin knocked gently on Iroh’s office door.

“Who is it?” he called.

“It’s Jin.”

“Come in, come in!”

Jin opened the door and was waved to a seat by Iroh. She sat down nervously.

“What can I help you with, Jin?” asked Iroh as he placed his reading glasses down. He started to use them recently, since he couldn’t see the tiny characters as well as he used to.

“If I may, Mr. Mushi, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Of course,” said Iroh, giving Jin his full attention.

“So, I was talking with Azula earlier, and she really seems to hate Ba Sing Se…”

Iroh’s face darkened. “Yes, she has a great hatred for this city, and the Earth Kingdom in general. I apologize if she called you any slurs.”

Jin blinked. “Um, no?”

Iroh sighed with relief.

“Anyway,” Jin continued, “she mentioned that you, um, ‘should have burned this city to the ground when you had the chance.’ And when I asked her why, she said to ask you. So, uh, I was curious why she’d say that. But if you don’t wanna answer, that’s fine!” Jin hunched in her seat. _I’m asking the literal Dragon of the West why his niece thinks he should have destroyed my home. What even is my life?_

Iroh’s face darkened again, but in a different way. He took a deep breath. “When I originally came to besiege Ba Sing Se, my son, Lu Ten, came with me. He was a masterful firebender, a shrewd thinker, and a man of many talents. He was my pride and joy.” Iroh’s eyes looked far away. His mouth quirked into a smile as he spoke of his son, before frowning again. “On the 595th day of the siege, not long after we had broken through the Outer Wall, Lu Ten was killed. Crushed by a boulder.” A tear ran down Iroh’s cheek.

Jin put her hand up to her mouth.

“I wasn’t—” Iroh choked a bit. “I… I wasn’t with him when he died. He had gone ahead of me in the first wave. I only found his body later. My son…” Iroh lowered his head into his hands. “My precious baby boy.”

Jin immediately stood up and walked around Iroh’s desk. She wrapped him in a big hug. The war hadn’t spared anyone who lived through it. Not even the Fire Nation’s royal family.

“I am so, so sorry for your loss,” said Jin. Iroh returned the hug, and gave her a pat on the back before pulling away.

“Thank you,” Iroh sighed. He wiped his eyes. “That was my crossroads. The death of my son caused me to question everything I thought I knew. I pulled out of the siege, and began searching. I was looking for a way to bring him back, but I found the path to peace instead.”

“It must have been hard,” said Jin.

“It was. It still is,” said Iroh. “That kind of loss… it’s something I hope you never have to experience, Jin. The pain of a parent who has outlived their child.”

Jin gulped. She tried to imagine what her parents would do if she died. She quickly stopped trying. It was too horrible to think about.

“Was Azula close with your son?”

Iroh sniffed, wiping his eyes again. He smiled sadly. “Lu Ten adored his little cousins. They used to fight over who got to play with him. He tried to make things fair by including them both. I remember one time, he taught them how to sneak into the kitchens to steal fruit tarts. They took their ‘secret mission’ very seriously.”

Jin giggled at the thought. “She must have been devastated when he died.”

Iroh frowned. “Actually… I don’t know… I know she thinks I am weak for not avenging his death.”

“Don’t you think… that might be her way of grieving him?” asked Jin. Iroh looked at her thoughtfully, and she pressed on. “In her mind, the obvious thing to do would be to destroy the city of the people who killed her beloved big cousin.”

Iroh’s eyes widened. “You… you’re right! How have I not thought of this before?”

“I mean, it doesn’t look the same as most grief, but I think that might just be how she expresses it,” said Jin. “I could be wrong, though.”

Iroh stood from his chair and bowed deeply to Jin. “Jin, I cannot begin to thank you enough. You’ve just provided me a great insight into how Azula has been feeling. Thank you, thank you so much.”

Jin waved her hands. “It’s really nothing!”

“No, Jin,” said Iroh. “Your help is everything.”

0-0-0

The next day, Jin ran up to Azula in the break room.

“Have you been reading _Secret Tunnel of Love_?”

Azula recoiled in her seat and blinked, surprised. “What?”

“ _Secret Tunnel of Love_! I heard Suki and Toph talking about it! Have you been reading it?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I _love_ that author!” said Jin. “Mei Guan writes some of my favorite romances!”

Azula closed her eyes and leaned her head back in her seat. She was silent for a moment.

“You said she has… more books?”

Jin grinned. “I can tell you all my favorites!”

0-0-0

“Hey, Jin,” called Suki.

Jin made her way over to Suki and Toph’s table. She felt a bit starstruck again. Two heroes of the Hundred Year War, two _Earth Kingdom_ heroes, were sitting right in front of her. Toph had been visiting the Jasmine Dragon frequently, often sitting with Suki during her shifts.

“Yes? Can I get you anything?” asked Jin.

“I was just curious,” said Toph, “why are you so nice to Hotcakes?”

Jin scrunched her eyebrow. “Hotcakes?”

“Mianju,” Suki supplied.

“Ohh,” said Jin. All these names would be the death of her. She looked to Toph. “Well, she needs a friend.”

Toph lowered her voice. “Weren’t you here when she conquered Ba Sing Se?”

Jin nodded, before remembering that Toph couldn’t see it. “I was. I remember the Fire Nation soldiers marching down the street. My parents crying because they thought they had escaped this.”

Toph nodded. “So, why are you so nice to the person who did all that?”

Jin shot Azula a glance. She was sassing Madam Hwang about something. Madam Hwang was one of the only customers who could sass Azula right back.

Jin turned back to Toph. “Because she’s hurt, and she needs someone to look out for her. She’s just a kid.”

Suki squirmed a bit in her seat at Jin’s words. Toph arched an eyebrow, but nodded, like she understood. “You’re really dripping with sincerity.”

Jin blinked. “Um, thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” Toph said plainly.

0-0-0

They day before Azula and Jin’s day off, Jin approached Azula again.

“Hey, so, some friends and I are going to see a play in the Middle Ring,” said Jin.

Azula ignored her and continued wiping the table.

“It’s a Fire Nation play. It’s called _Love Amongst the Dragons_?”

Azula stilled.

“I just wanted to say, you’re welcome to come with us. It’ll be at 12:30 at Ba Sing Se University Theater.”

Azula turned away and went on to the next table. She would not dignify Jin’s prattling with a response.

 _That’s okay,_ thought Jin. _As long as she knows._

0-0-0

Jin was pleasantly surprised when Azula did show up for the play. She looked annoyed and restless, but Jin could see that she had done her makeup and was wearing some of her nicer clothes.

“Mianju!” she greeted Azula. “Over here! These are my friends San and Jia! San, Jia, this is my coworker Mianju, and her friends Suki and Arna.”

“Suki?” asked San. “Like the Kyoshi Warrior?”

Suki grinned. Like usual, she wasn’t wearing her Kyoshi makeup while in public. “Yep!”

“Wow, that’s so cool! To share a name with a hero!”

Suki shrugged. “Eh,” she said, smiling mischievously.

Azula crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

“Nice to meet you all,” said Jia.

“Charmed,” drawled Azula.

“Let’s go in and buy our tickets. I wanna get good seats,” said San.

The group made their way inside.

0-0-0

“That was amazing!” said Jin.

“I know!” said Jia. “I mean, the Dragon Emperor’s character arc?”

San nodded. “That was perfect!”

“Can we talk about the kiss in the final scene?” Jin fanned herself. “Soooo romantic!”

“What did you think, Mianju?” asked San.

Azula scoffed. “I couldn’t take the Dark Water Spirit seriously with that accent.”

Jin turned to Azula. “What?”

“The Dark Water Spirit traditionally speaks with a Sei’nakan accent. Not… whatever that was.”

The actor playing the Dark Water Spirit in the performance had a Senlin accent. Jin thought it was a nice touch.

“Sei’naka? What’s that? I’ve never heard of that place.”

Before Azula could open her mouth, Jin jumped in. “Oh, I think I forgot to mention, Mianju’s actually from the Fire Nation! I bet you saw this play all the time over there, huh?”

Azula glared at Jin, but nodded.

“Wow? Really? You’re from the Fire Nation? That’s so cool!” said San.

“Yeah… cool…” said Jia, more hesitantly.

“Not just the Dark Water Spirit, but all of their accents were wrong! But the Dark Water Spirit was the worst offender!”

“The actors for this performance _are_ from the Earth Kingdom, Mianju,” said Suki.

“I thought using regional Earth Kingdom accents gave it a nice flair!” said San.

Jin hadn’t noticed it much before, but Azula did have a slight accent. She didn’t know how to describe it, but she did notice how Azula carefully annunciated every word. And still, Azula’s accent was different from Iroh’s. She wondered why that might be.

Azula looked away from the group. “I’m going back. I feel like I need to scrub that terrible performance off of my skin.”

Azula left, with Suki and Arna shooting apologetic glances and waving goodbye. Jin was just happy that Azula came at all.

0-0-0

“Bubble tea?” asked Jin as she came into the break room, carrying two cups of Iroh’s bubble tea.

Azula glared at her. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Talking to me. Inviting me to a play. Bringing me food. What is your game?”

Jin blinked. “Um, I’m just trying to be friends with you.”

That seemed to catch Azula off guard. “Why?”

“Because I have a feeling that you need a friend.”

Azula looked away. “I _don’t_ need friends. I’m not _weak_.”

“Azula, why do you think that all these things are a weakness?” Jin sat down next to Azula. “People _need_ other people.”

“Not me.” Azula crossed her arms. “I don’t need anyone.”

Jin put the two cups of bubble tea on the low table in front of them. “People need other people,” she repeated.

Azula pointedly did not reply.

Jin sighed. “I’m sorry if I’m being overbearing. I just wanted to be nice. But, please don’t think that having friends is a weakness. Having real friends can really only make you stronger.” She got up and took one of the bubble teas, leaving the other one behind.

Azula watched Jin retreat. Once she was alone in the break room again, she picked up the bubble tea. She fumed at Jin for being so presumptuous, and for the fact that the bubble tea was actually quite good, so it was even _harder_ to be properly angry.

 _How dare she manipulate me like this!_ thought Azula as she sipped her bubble tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I loved the detail in _Shadow of Kyoshi_ how Rangi had a regional accent that slipped out. It's such a cute detail! I decided that the Dark Water Spirit should have that accent. I headcanon it to be a bit like Southern US accents. 
> 
> Also, anyone else notice how Azula sounds just the tiniest bit British? Not enough to actually be a British accent, but every syllable she says is so perfectly measured! Is it just me?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think! :D


	15. I Spy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek behind the curtain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CONTENT WARNING**
> 
> CONTENT WARNING for implications of sexual assault against minors (not detailed, but alluded to), one mention of suicide, and for a graphic depiction of violence.

Mr. Vo closed the curtains of his windows, peeking out into the night as he did so. He couldn’t see anyone outside, but that didn’t mean no one was there.

He thought being harassed by former Dai Li agents once was enough. They claimed to know about his… activities. His adulterous activities. Even worse, his adulterous activities with young ladies who were not-quite-yet-adults.

Apparently, Long Feng was trying to make a comeback, and was using this dirt to get Vo and people like him to pledge loyalty. It certainly worked.

Vo hoped that he would never hear from them again. That that was the end of it, and he would be left in peace. Of course no such thing happened.

The Dai Li agents found him a second time, and this time they had an assignment for him. Oh, goody. They wanted him to spy on the new girl in the Jasmine Dragon.

Apparently, they were convinced that she was Princess Azula. The whole thing was absurd, in Vo’s mind.

He tried telling them that it was absurd. He tried saying that he hasn’t been to the Jasmine Dragon in months, that after the new girl made a fuss and Mushi took her word over his that he decided he wouldn’t patronize their business.

They told him to do what they said or else.

So, tomorrow Vo would make his way to the Jasmine Dragon, and hope that Mushi doesn’t throw him out again.

Vo shook his head as he made sure his doors were locked (not that would stop any Dai Li). No way that girl was Princess Azula. Princess Azula would never work as a servant.

And she would definitely be taller.

0-0-0

Azula frowned when she saw the creepy old man come in. She thought she had seen him for the first and last time on her first day.

Jin also frowned when she saw Mr. Vo. She went to go tell Mushi.

Suki frowned deepest of all. She fingered the metal fan in her belt. Unassuming, until she used it as the weapon it was. She kept her eye on Vo at all times, just daring him to try anything.

Iroh came out from the kitchen with Jin behind him. He approached Mr. Vo with a stern look on his face.

“Mr. Vo, I must ask you to leave.”

Vo scowled at Iroh. “Why? I’m a customer.”

“Your presence makes my employees uncomfortable, and I cannot tolerate that. Please leave or I shall call the City Guard and have you removed. You are no longer welcome here.”

“Why, you listen here—”

Iroh stepped forward, frowning. Vo took a step back. He turned away from Iroh’s burning gaze.

“Fine. I didn’t want your awful tea anyway…”

Mr. Vo stalked off.

0-0-0

“My Lord, we have some troubling news,” said Spymaster Yan. Zuko nodded and gestured for him to speak.

“We captured an earthbender making his way through the forest with a strange letter.” Yan handed the letter to Zuko, who scanned it.

_My Brothers,_

_Our organization has been reduced to a shadow of what it once was._

_We have been humiliated by a weak king and a mere child. This cannot stand._

_I call on all my brothers-in-arms to ready themselves. Swear allegiance to me once more, and I will make sure we are avenged._

_The world will tremble at our feet. All we must do is wait for the proper time to strike._

_Then, we shall take down the puppet King and the Fire Lord in one fell swoop._

_Keep an ear to the ground._

_—Your Leader_

The letter did not say who the leader was, but it was clear that someone was making moves against the Fire Lord and the Earth King.

“We believe that this letter was intended for former Dai Li agents still hiding in the Fire Nation,” said Yan. “The allusions in the letter to Earth King Kuei and Princess Azula seem to confirm this.”

Zuko nodded, processing the information. “And what of the earthbender?”

“When he was incapacitated and had his bag taken from him, he took his own life on the spot.”

“How was he found in the first place?” asked Zuko.

“He was wandering from town to town, asking about strange happenings. When some guards asked him his business, he panicked and attacked. We only found the letter after his death.”

Zuko sat back in his chair. “I need to inform the Earth King about this. Search the area the earthbender was in and heading towards. If there are any Dai Li fugitives in the Fire Nation, I want them found out and brought to justice.”

The spymaster bowed. “As you wish, my Lord.”

0-0-0

“Please, you have to understand, he wouldn’t let me stay!” said Vo. He had been kidnapped from his house in the Upper Ring and brought to the Dai Li hideout in the lower ring.

Long Feng stood before him, unimpressed. “I ask you to do one simple thing, and you can’t even manage to do that. Pathetic.”

“Please, you have to believe me!” shouted Vo.

“Oh, I believe you.”

Vo smiled.

“I believe that you’re a weak, pathetic excuse of a human being.”

Vo’s face fell. “Please!”

Long Feng nodded to the agent next to him. The agent turned his body away from Vo while keeping his gaze on him, and touched his left shoulder with the index and middle fingers of his right hand. Faster than Vo’s eyes could track, the agent whipped his hand out, pointing at Vo. A whizzing sound, a crunch, a blow that felt like a punch on Vo’s sternum, and a sudden sensation of wetness on his front and back gave Vo an idea of what just happened. He tried to protest, but his lungs failed him, and his vision went dark at the edges.

Vo collapsed, dead before he even hit the ground, a tiny hole in the front of his chest and a ragged gash in the back tracing the path of the stone the agent shot from his glove through Vo’s body. Blood gushed from both wounds as Vo’s dead heart emptied its contents onto the floor.

Long Feng turned to the agent. “Impressive.”

The agent nodded. “Observing the princess’ lightning generation techniques gave me the idea. I don’t have to wind up as much as she does, but death comes just as surely and swiftly… if not more discreetly.”

“Yes, that technique will be very useful for taking people out from a distance,” said Long Feng. He turned to Vo’s lifeless body. “I suppose we’ll have to find someone else to keep tabs on the princess.” He stomped his foot on the ground, and Vo’s body was swallowed up by the dirt. Only the stain left by his blood gave any indication of what had happened on that spot.

“There are others. We just thought Vo had most reason to comply.”

Long Feng nodded. “Oh, well. This would have happened sooner or later. Scum like him will only ever be good for the dirt.”

0-0-0

Earth King Kuei really wished that Fire Lord Zuko would stop sending him urgent letters. They never had good news.

According to Fire Lord Zuko, there was a new conspiracy afoot. He claimed that some former Dai Li agents were out and about, trying to take down the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.

_Why do these things happen to me?_ wondered the Earth King.

He wondered who their leader might be. He wondered if Azula was working in connection with Long Feng again. Though the letter that was being sent said that they had been humiliated by a “girl,” but that could just be a trick. Azula was a wily one, after all.

Could he trust his Dai Li agents to keep a closer eye on her? Or were they working for this mysterious Leader, too? Aside from Bosco, Kuei didn’t know who to trust!

He sighed and rubbed his temples, once again wondering what he did in a past life to deserve this.

0-0-0

The four tea shop regulars sat around the Pai Sho table, watching Mrs. Hu and Mrs. Truong play.

“Oh-ho, sneaky!” said Mrs. Hu as she saw what Mrs. Truong was trying to do. She quickly cut off Mrs. Truong’s path to a harmony.

“Say, has anyone noticed Mr. Vo recently?” asked Mrs. Shao, watching Mrs. Truong rethink her strategy.

“He was in here a few days ago,” said Mrs. Ren. “Mr. Mushi threw him out!”

“Serves him right,” piped Mrs. Truong. “I can’t stand that horrible man!”

Mrs. Shao nodded. “Nor can I, but I haven’t seen him at all recently. His house is completely dark.”

Mrs. Hu glanced at her friends. “If I never see him again, it will be too soon! Everyone knows he can’t keep his hands to himself!”

The other three agreed. “Still,” said Mrs. Shao, “it’s strange for him to disappear entirely.”

“It’s not so strange,” said Mrs. Hu. “Goodness knows there’s been… disappearances… in the past.”

The four glanced around. The disappearances were something that had only been acknowledged in whispers and euphemisms, and never in public.

“I thought those days were behind us,” said Mrs. Truong.

“Who knows, maybe he finally crossed the wrong person?” said Mrs. Hu. “The younger generation are much less tolerant of antics like his.”

The other three nodded. “Good for them, I say!” said Mrs. Ren. “No one should put up with that!”

Mrs. Hu nodded, placed her tile, and kept the princess in the corner of her vision. Unlike Mr. Vo, she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself, and could enter the Jasmine Dragon freely.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure why the Dai Li didn’t just come to her first. She was a much better choice than Vo.

It certainly helped that she had done this kind of thing before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen people who lived in East Germany during the Cold War talk online about how the most dangerous Stasi agents weren't men in dark coats who burst in in the middle of the night, but the little old ladies who spent all day sitting at their windows watching the streets. Old ladies who would then report every infraction to the Stasi, better than a security camera. 
> 
> Mrs. Hu is based off of these little old Stasi ladies. I actually mentioned her before, in Chapter 6! Right after Azula's encounter with Mr. Vo. If you reread that part, you can see what Jin thinks of Mrs. Hu!


	16. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula deals with her brain at night.

_Azula ran down the hall, giggling, trying to stay away from Lu Ten. He was “it.”_

_“I’m gonna get you!” shouted her cousin playfully._

_Azula was tiny, and the palace seemed much bigger than she was used to. She squealed with delight and rounded a corner._

_She was in Uncle’s tea shop. She looked behind her, but Lu Ten wasn’t there._

_“Lu?” she asked, nervous._

_“Your cousin is dead, Azula,” said a horrible, cold voice. Azula’s blood froze, and she turned around._

_Ozai towered in front of her, at least ten feet tall. “What are you doing, sniveling like a servant in the Earth Kingdom? Fraternizing with peasants?”_

_Azula fell to her knees. “Please, Father—”_

_“Silence!” Flames flared up around Ozai, burning the wood paneling of the Jasmine Dragon. “You have sullied my name, the name of the Royal Family! You are not fit to be called my daughter!”_

_Tears slipped down Azula’s face. “Father—”_

_“I AM NOT YOUR FATHER!” bellowed Ozai. “I have no children!”_

_The tea shop collapsed around them as the fire roared and Azula cried._

_“You miserable piece of filth!” said Ozai, reaching towards her with a flaming hand. “I’ll give you something to cry about!”_

“Father!” shouted Azula, bolting awake. She opened her eyes, disoriented. She was not in the Jasmine Dragon. She was in her room in Iroh’s apartment. Her father was rotting in prison in the Fire Nation. She reached up to feel her face. It was wet, but not burned.

It was the third straight night of nightmares.

Azula turned on her side and hugged her turtleduck plushie closer to her chest. She wanted to go back to sleep, but not if she would be tormented in her dreams. She knew she would be awake the rest of the night.

The tears didn’t stop.

0-0-0

Azula was noticeably off during her shift at the Jasmine Dragon. She was much paler than normal, her eyes had dark bags under them, and she was much slower. Less coordinated.

It made Jin concerned.

When Azula dropped her tray for the third time that day, Jin had enough.

“You need to sleep,” said Jin, grasping Azula by the shoulders and steering her towards the break room.

“I’m _fine_.”

“No, you’re not,” said Jin. “You’re dropping things, you’re dragging your feet, and you look like a panda-cat with those rings around your eyes. I’m sure you of all people know the necessity of proper sleep.”

Azula did know, but she kept her mouth shut.

Jin pushed Azula into the break room and sat her down on the couch. “Sleep,” she said sternly, as if Azula were a naughty pet.

Azula crossed her arms. “Fine! Gets me out of doing work, anyway!” Azula leaned her head on the backrest of the sofa, put her feet up on the low table in front of her, and closed her eyes, her arms still crossed over her chest.

Jin brought over a blanket from the closet and draped it over Azula. Azula pointedly opened a single eye.

“Sleep,” Jin ordered again. Azula closed her eye. Jin went over to the windows and pulled the curtains closed, darkening the room.

“Sweet dreams,” said Jin, slipping out of the break room.

“Shut up,” said Azula, eyes still closed.

Jin closed the door as quietly as she could manage, then went to the supply closet to get a board and a brush. A few seconds later, she balanced her newly made sign on the doorknob of the break room.

**請勿打擾**

**Please do not disturb**

Pleased with her efforts, Jin went back to waiting tables. It would be harder without Azula helping her, but it was abundantly clear that Azula needed to sleep.

0-0-0

_Azula snuck into the kitchen with Zuzu and Lu Ten. The cooks were busy dealing with a grease fire, which meant that they could sneak in and get all the pastries their little hearts desired._

_The snuck into the room where all the finished treats were, and began to stuff their bags with sweets. Azula saw an especially decadent cake at the top on one of the racks._

_“I’m gonna climb!” Azula said. She began to crawl up the rack._

_No matter how high she climbed, the cake remained out of reach. She climbed and climbed and climbed, and the cake was always as far away from her as it was before._

_She reached out her hand towards it, grasping, when a large hand grabbed her wrist._

_“What are you doing, you miserable whelp?” demanded Ozai._

0-0-0

It warmed Iroh’s heart to see Jin looking out for his niece. He knew she wasn’t sleeping well—anyone with eyes could see that. He tried suggesting to her that she should take the day off, rest, but of course she was stubborn. As much as she hated working, suggesting that she wasn’t capable made her only more determined to do it.

Seeing Jin put the “do not disturb” sign on the break room made Iroh hopeful that she was actually resting in there.

Some more people entered the shop, and Iroh caught a flash of orange and blue. _Could it be…?_

“Twinkle Toes! Sugar Queen!” shouted Toph, bounding over to the Avatar and his waterbending master.

“Toph!” they said, launching into a group hug.

The other patrons turned to get a look at the Avatar. Iroh noticed Mrs. Hu glancing towards the break room. She had been doing that ever since Jin took Azula back there.

Poor dear was probably worried about her.

Iroh walked into the main dining area.

“My friends, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon! Come, follow me!” He led Aang and Katara into his office, Toph following behind. Iroh shut the door behind him, and bowed to Aang and Katara.

“Welcome back,” said Iroh.

Aang and Katara bowed to him.

“Iroh,” said Katara.

“Hi!” said Aang.

“What brings you to the Jasmine Dragon, my friends?” asked Iroh.

At this, Katara crossed her arms and shot Aang a glance. “It was all Aang’s idea,” she grumbled.

Aang smiled and scratched the back of his bald head. “Well, Zuko told me that Azula’s working here…”

Iroh cocked his eyebrow. “Yes…?”

“So, I wanted to meet up with her, and tell her that I forgive her… for, you know, killing me…”

Iroh shook his head. “I’m not so sure that is a good idea, young Avatar. My niece has had lots of trouble adjusting to life in the Earth Kingdom. Furthermore, she is sleep deprived and irritable. I don’t think she’s in any state of mind to accept forgiveness, no matter how freely you offer it.”

Aang’s face fell. “Oh.”

They heard a noise from the dining room. It sounded like something clattered to the ground. Iroh sprung up and made his way to the dining room.

Peeking in, he saw patrons looking around. “What happened?” he asked.

“There was a shout from that room,” said Mrs. Hu, pointing to the break room. “Your server, Jin, went in to check on whoever’s in there!”

Iroh made his way to the break room. The other members of Team Avatar followed after him, but he pulled the door shut behind him so they couldn’t get in.

“Azula! Azula, it’s okay. You’re safe!” Jin said, gently shaking Azula. Iroh’s niece was curled up in her blankets, whimpering and thrashing. Jin pulled Azula close, almost like a hug. “It’s okay, Azula. You’re safe. You’re okay!”

Iroh knelt down and placed a hand on Azula’s shoulder and stroked her hair. “My niece, please wake up. You’re okay.”

Azula didn’t wake up, but she quieted down. A tear dripped from her closed eyelid and ran down her cheek. Iroh brushed it away.

Iroh looked up at Jin. “Jin, could you please continue serving tea? I would like to keep an eye on Azula. And I would like to not be disturbed unless it’s a genuine emergency. Not customer complaints, I mean the shop burning down or an injury that requires immediate attention.”

Jin nodded. She helped Iroh lift Azula onto the couch, then went to the door. She glanced back at Iroh and Azula.

Azula was curled up under her blanket, but she looked calmer. She looked so cute and harmless and _young_. Jin hoped that she was alright.

She saw Iroh pull up a chair and sit by Azula’s side. Jin knew he would do whatever it took to help Azula. She turned back to the door and opened it.

The heroes of the Hundred Year War were clustered outside of the break room door. Aang and Suki looked concerned, Toph looked subdued, Sokka looked curious, and Katara looked like she was halfway between _I told you so_ and _Is everything alright?_

“Mr. Mushi asked not to be disturbed. I can show you to your table, if you would like.”

“Is everything oka—” began Aang.

“This is a private matter between Mr. Mushi and his niece. Please follow me to your table.” Jin knew she had to stand firm. Not only would Azula hate the crowd, but Iroh was explicit in his wish not to be disturbed.

She readjusted the sign on the door and led Team Avatar to their table to sit down.

0-0-0

Azula woke up feeling somewhat refreshed. She blinked the crust from her eyes, rubbed her face, and looked around.

Iroh stirred in the seat next to her. She blinked again.

“How are you feeling, my niece? Did you sleep well?” asked Iroh.

Azula squinted at him. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was merely making sure you were alright. Jin heard you shout, you were having a nightmare.”

Azula’s cheeks flushed red. As if she needed everyone to know about that!

“I think it would be best if you returned home, niece,” said Iroh. “You’ve been working too hard.”

Azula wanted to draw herself up and reprimand Iroh for possibly calling her _weak_ , but at the same time she was _so_ tired.

“I suppose I have,” said Azula. She stretched her arms to the sky, letting out a slight groan as her muscles woke up.

“I’ll go tell one of the Kyoshi Warriors that you’re going home.” Iroh got up and left the room.

Azula rolled out from under the blanket, stood up, and stretched some more. A knock came from the door.

“Mianju? Are you ready?” asked one of the Kyoshi Warriors.

“Be patient,” Azula snapped at the door. She stretched once more and made her way to the door. Rin was standing on the other side.

“Ready to go?” asked Rin.

Azula said nothing and pushed past her. She began to walk to the Jasmine Dragon’s exit.

She thought she saw a flash of orange in the corner of her vision. She started to turn towards it, but Rin stepped up next to her and took her arm.

“Let’s just get home,” said Rin.

Azula grumbled. Iroh’s apartment certainly wasn’t “home.” But she was tired and grumpy, so she allowed herself to be led out of the Jasmine Dragon.

She did not notice the Avatar and his friends watching her leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're telling me that Aang _wouldn't_ be totally down to forgive Azula post-war, once she's no longer chasing them? Aang is a sweet boi and he would totally forgive her at the soonest opportunity.
> 
> Katara, Sokka, and Suki... will take a bit longer lol.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Comments appreciated! :D


	17. More Updates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People learn things.

Zuko looked over the correspondence he received from King Kuei.

The Earth King wished to discuss the threat that the former Dai Li posed with Zuko in person. Zuko agreed that the two leaders would need to tackle this head-on, but arranging a talk would take quite a while.

Of course, Zuko could show up unannounced, but that would just cause an international diplomatic incident, and he really didn’t need any of that.

He thought about how Azula was doing. He hoped she was safe.

_I haven’t written to her since I sent her the passport,_ though Zuko. _Well, she hasn’t written back either… but maybe I should update her._

Zuko began to write another letter to Azula.

0-0-0

“Zuzu! Zuzu! What’cha doing?” asked Kiyi as she ran up to Zuko.

“Just sending Azula a letter,” said Zuko, showing the rolled-up paper in his hand.

“Did she finally write back?” Kiyi asked, following Zuko.

“No, but I recently found out some things that I thought she should know.”

“What kinds of things?”

“Things that she should be prepared for, because they might try to hurt her,” said Zuko.

“Oh…” said Kiyi. “Did you tell Mom?”

“I don’t want to worry her.”

“She’d want to know,” said Kiyi.

Zuko stopped walking and sighed. “Once again, your insight astounds me, Kiyi.”

Kiyi smiled broadly. “You’re welcome!”

Zuko ruffled her hair, and they continued on to the palace’s post office together.

0-0-0

Ursa was frantic. Zuko had just told her about a plot by former Earth Kingdom secret police that feel personally slighted by Azula, and he _didn’t_ expect her to worry about her daughter?

She had already drafted a letter to Azula, and was currently in the process of finding more things to send to Azula that may be a comfort.

_Would the spices have run out? I should probably send more…_

She also tried thinking of stories Azula might like. She should probably ask Zuko to make sure, he might know Azula’s tastes better. It was easier to get books in the Fire Nation than in the Earth Kingdom, after all.

Ursa also stopped by the Fire Temple. She offered up prayers and sticks of incense for her daughter, that she might be alright. That Azula be spared from whatever machinations these Dai Li characters were plotting.

0-0-0

As Azula slept off the last of her fatigue, she didn’t have any nightmares. She did not realize that, an ocean away, her mother was praying for her. She didn’t realize anything at all, actually, because she was asleep.

It was the best sleep she’d had in a while.

0-0-0

“Did’ja hear about the earthbenders they found in the forest?” asked Gan.

Naku nodded. “I heard they found about thirty earthbenders in the forest, dressed in weird black cloaks. The Fire Army was combing the countryside.”

Gan nodded. “Apparently some guards questioned a fishy-lookin’ guy who was askin’ weird questions, the guy freaked out and tried to fight them all by himself!”

“Do ya think this might be a sign of trouble with the Earth Kingdom?” asked Naku.

Gan shook his head. “I dunno. All I know is, somethin’s up.”

0-0-0

“The Avatar?” Long Feng asked.

Mrs. Hu nodded. “There is only one Air Nomad in the entire world. It’s impossible to miss him.”

Long Feng stroked his chin. “This puts a wrench in the works. We are not prepared to take on the Avatar, not yet.” He glanced at Mrs. Hu. “Good work. Keep an eye on the situation. Let me know when the Avatar is no longer in Ba Sing Se, if you can find that out.”

Mrs. Hu nodded. “As you wish, sir.”


	18. Seed of Absolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang gives Azula something she doesn't want. Jin gives Azula a stern talking to.

Azula hoped her first day back would be good. She was well-rested, she felt more energetic, and even her skin looked healthier now that she had caught up on her sleep.

So of course the first face she saw at the Jasmine Dragon was that of a bald, tattooed child who was somehow taller than her now.

“Hiya, Azula!” said the Avatar cheerfully as he bowed to her Fire Nation style.

Azula snapped her eyes around the room. No one was there besides the Avatar’s posse, Jin, and Iroh. And of course, Suki. Did Suki count as a member of the Avatar’s posse?

By the way she and the Water Peasant were trying to eat each other’s faces while no one was watching, she guessed the answer was “yes.”

She looked the Avatar in the eyes. She had to look _up_ to do it! What was this boy eating?

“I have no idea who you’re talking about,” said Azula.

The Avatar blinked, then slapped his arrowed forehead. “I forgot! You’re _incognito_!” he whispered, as if he was in on some grand joke. “Mianju! Hiya, Mianju!”

Azula skirted around him, going to pick up a broom. “Why are you here?”

“I always try to stop by the Jasmine Dragon when I can. The tea here is the best!”

“I mean, why are you here, annoying me?” Azula began sweeping as Jin set the tables.

“Oh! Well…” the Avatar scratched the back of his head. “…actually, I wanted to let you know… I forgive you.”

Azula shot him a blank stare. “What,” she asked flatly.

“I forgive you!”

Azula squinted at him. “For what?”

“Well, you know… for everything!” said the Avatar. He began counting off on his fingers. “For chasing us, for trying to capture me, for killing me…”

In the background, Jin dropped her tray.

“…for… everything!”

Azula squinted at him even harder. “I’m not sorry.”

The Avatar blinked. “Um… excuse me?”

“I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry for chasing you, or trying to capture you, or even for killing you. In fact, the only thing I _am_ sorry for is that killing you didn’t stick.”

Jin dropped her tray again. Azula could feel the Avatar’s posse glaring at her, the Waterbender doing her best to bore a hole in Azula’s head with just her eyes.

The Avatar looked confused, but then smiled. “That’s okay! I still forgive you!”

This time, both Jin and Azula dropped what they were holding.

Azula stared at the Avatar. “What.”

“I forgive you anyway! Even if you don’t feel sorry, that’s okay!”

Azula stared with her mouth open. “But—I—wha—I don’t want it! Take it back!”

The Avatar closed his eyes and held up his hands. “Too late. It is given. I cannot do anything more.”

Azula’s eye twitched. She grabbed the Avatar by his collar. His friends jumped up to defend him, but hesitated when he held out a hand to stop them.

“What game are you playing, Avatar?” she growled.

The Avatar looked her in the eyes. “No games, Azula. I just genuinely want to forgive you. And I hope that one day, you can accept it.”

Azula growled and shoved him backwards. She picked up her broom and began to aggressively sweep the floor.

The Avatar returned to his group, who cautiously sat back down.

Azula glimpsed Iroh looking out from the window that connected the kitchens and the dining area. He smiled and gave Azula a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes and continued sweeping.

0-0-0

“Why would you do that, Aang?” demanded Katara.

“Because it’s important. In Azula’s world, everything is either for her or against her, and everything comes with a price. I wanted to show her a better way.”

“And how is nearly getting yourself killed—again—supposed to do that?!”

Aang shook his head. “It’s not. But freely forgiving her, even when she’s not sorry, even when she might not deserve it, without any strings attached… it’ll give her something to think about. She’s never gotten anything with no strings attached.”

The argument made sense, as much as Katara hated to admit it, but she crossed her arms and huffed anyway.

“I still don’t like you going into danger.”

Aang’s grin faltered. “I think Azula is in more danger. You didn’t feel it, but I’m sure Toph did—as soon as she grabbed me, at least twenty Dai Li agents positioned themselves to take her down.”

A chill went down Katara’s spine. She looked around the bright restaurant, but saw no one. “How could you be sure they’re Dai Li?” she asked.

“I can sense their stone boots and gloves. Only Dai Li wear those.”

Katara shivered. “I can’t believe the Earth King trusts them again.”

Aang frowned. “Me neither, but if that’s what he decided was best, well, he’s the Earth King, not us.”

“You’re the Avatar!”

Katara felt Toph put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Sugar Queen, you know that politics are more complicated than that.”

Katara sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just so… frustrating!”

Aang snuggled up next to her. “I know. But we can only do our best, and hope that others will follow. Hopefully the king is keeping a closer eye on this new Dai Li than on the old one.”

0-0-0

“Excuse me, young man, are you the Avatar?” asked the old lady.

Aang looked at her and smiled. “Yes, I am. My name’s Aang, what’s yours?” He bowed to her, Earth Kingdom style.

“Oh, you can call me Mrs. Hu. Would you like to play a game of Pai Sho?”

“Okay, but I’m not as good as Ir—as Mr. Mushi is.”

Mrs. Hu laughed and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone who is! Come, let’s play!”

Aang sat down. Mrs. Hu waved at the board with her hand. “The guest makes the first move.”

Aang took up a Red Rhododendron tile and placed it on the board. The game began.

“What brings you to Ba Sing Se, Aang?” asked Mrs. Hu.

“Well, part of it is just checking up on the Earth King, in case he needs help with anything. Mostly it’s to visit here, though.”

Mrs. Hu nodded as she placed a tile. “Oh yes, you won’t find better tea anywhere in Ba Sing Se.”

Aang smiled and nodded, placing another of his tiles.

“Have you been enjoying the city?”

“Oh, yes, it’s very pretty here.”

“How long do you think you’ll be staying?” asked Mrs. Hu, placing a tile and taking a sip of her tea.

“Probably a few days or so, unless the Earth King asks me to stay. Right now I’m just kind of going wherever the wind takes me… with my friends, of course!”

Mrs. Hu nodded. “Of course, of course. Do promise me that you’ll say goodbye before you go? You seem like a very interesting young man, and I’d like to get to know you.”

“Oh, sure! I’ll probably be hanging out here a lot, anyway!”

Mrs. Hu smiled. “That’s good to hear, since I’m a regular! I look forward to seeing more of you, young Avatar.”

0-0-0

Azula sat down in the break room and opened her lunch. Jin sat down next to her with her own lunch and two bubble teas.

“Bubble tea?” she asked.

Azula grabbed it and said nothing.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better today,” said Jin.

“Shut up,” said Azula.

Jin closed her eyes and sipped her bubble tea. “My mom has nightmares.”

Azula glared at Jin.

“She had a really bad time during the war. At night, sometimes, she feels like she’s back in those dark places… even though she’s safe now. It’s gotten better, but it still happens from time to time.”

“I don’t care,” said Azula, angrily sipping her tea.

Jin took a deep breath. “What I’m saying is, you’re not alone.”

Azula slammed her cup down on the low table. “I’m not _weak_ , I am perfectly capable of—”

Jin heard enough. She didn’t even let Azula finish before she grabbed Azula by the shoulders in a vice-like grip.

“My mother is the strongest person I have ever met! She came here, alone, after her family was slaughtered by the Fire Nation! She found love and built a family here, and no matter what awful things life throws at her she refuses to wallow in self-pity!”

Azula’s eyes widened. Jin’s fingers dug into her shoulders, and her eyes glared wildly.

“I don’t know what makes you think leaning on others or asking for help makes a person weak, but you’re wrong! People _need_ other people! And sometimes, admitting you need help takes a ton of courage! It’s one of the _strongest_ things a person can do!”

Azula felt relieved when Jin let go. Her shoulders were beginning to hurt.

Jin stood up. “I don’t know why you’re so intent on sabotaging every nice thing someone does for you, Azula, but it needs to stop. Your uncle is trying his best to be there for you, but also give you space… it’s killing him! I can see the stress lines on his face!”

Azula stood up and matched Jin’s glare. “How dare you presume to know what I need—”

Jin narrowed her eyes and stepped close to Azula, so that they were nose-to-nose. “You’re not a princess here, Azula. I am not your servant. I’m _trying_ to be your friend, but you won’t even let me do that. Why?”

Azula stepped back, trying to create space between her and Jin. “Friends are only good for betrayal. I will not allow anyone that luxury.”

The fierceness melted out of Jin’s expression, something like pity taking its place. “Azula…”

“Get out,” said Azula.

“What?”

“GET! OUT!”

Jin plopped down on the couch and began eating her lunch. “No.”

Azula’s eye twitched. “No?”

“No. I’m going to sit here and eat my lunch. Because we’re coworkers. We both have a right to the break room.”

“I am a Princess—”

“No, you’re not,” said Jin, waving her chopsticks for emphasis. “You’re a tea server, right now.”

Azula exhaled smoke through her nose. She reached into the pocket of her uniform and whipped out a small red booklet. She slammed it down on the table, open to the first page.

名：阿祖拉

位：公主

_Name: Azula_

_Title: Princess_

“Read it and weep,” said Azula with an unhinged smirk.

Jin pried the passport out from under Azula’s fingers, and scanned the page. She flipped the booklet closed, looking at the cover. It was red, with the Three-Pointed Flame of the Fire Nation emblazoned on the front in gold. Below, also in gold, it had words.

烈火國護照

_Fire Nation Passport_

Jin flipped it open to the information page again. In very tiny print, right at the bottom, was the date of issue and expiry.

簽發日期：烈火君蘇克朝代之二年四月十七日

有效期至：從簽發日期十年之後

_Date of Issue: Seventeenth Day of the Fourth Month of the Second Year of the Reign of Fire Lord Zuko_

_Date of Expiry: Ten years after Date of Issue_

Jin looked up at Azula.

“I got that passport a month ago. Zuzu himself told me my title was still intact. So there. I _am_ a princess!”

“It’s dated from the second year of Zuko’s reign. The war ended almost three years ago.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you count the years of reign starting with the first _full_ year, duh!”

Jin nodded. That made sense. But something else didn’t. “Azula… why do you have this?” she asked. She held the passport out to Azula. “You can’t have anyone knowing who you really are. If you’re caught with that, it’ll be a dead giveaway.”

Azula snatched her passport back. “The only way anyone is getting their slimy hands on this is by prying it off of my cold, dead carcass.” She slipped the passport back into her pocket and turned away from Jin.

“Azula…”

Azula marched towards the door, leaving her uneaten lunch and half-finished bubble tea behind.

0-0-0

Sokka was unsure how he felt about Azula’s presence. On the one hand, it could be fun messing with her.

On the other, she could try to spike his tea with something, and he didn’t want to find out what.

He was glad that Jin was their server. She was always very sweet and kind. At least, that’s what Sokka thought before they heard a muffled argument come out of the employee break room.

Azula came storming out of the break room, a development which surprised Sokka. He would have thought that Jin would be the one to be so offended by whatever Azula said that she’d leave the break room. Maybe Jin was tougher than he thought.

Azula clearly looked unhappy. Aside from her usual Azula scowl, she looked like she was fighting back tears.

Sokka nudged Suki. “Does she look okay to you?”

Suki glanced over at Azula, who sniffed and picked up a tray. “No, but I don’t know what to do about that.” 

Azula wiped her eyes and began to aggressively serve customers.

Sokka looked over at Suki. “I have no idea either. I wonder what Jin said to her.”

About fifteen minutes later, Jin exited the break room and got to work. Sokka flagged her over.

“Hey, Jin!” said Sokka. “What’s going on with Az— with Mianju? She seems upset.”

Jin sighed and looked over at Azula. “She just doesn’t seem to be able to accept any nice things. She always thinks something comes with a price.”

"I’m just curious, what did you say to her? She seems really out of it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like that.”

Jin sighed again. “I told her she needs to stop sabotaging herself.”

“I can see that went well.”

Jin frowned and puffed out her cheeks. “I just don’t get it,” she said. “She’d be having a much more pleasant time if she didn’t see the worst in everything. Why’s she doing this to herself?”

Suki fidgeted with her teacup. “Based on what Zu—her brother told me, they had a rough childhood. I don’t think you recover from that kind of thing so easily when you’re raised to think a certain way.”

Jin sighed and lowered her head. “I know. I just feel really, really badly for her.”

Sokka drank a sip of tea. “I don’t. She hunted us for months and killed my best friend. Well, I guess it didn’t stick, because Katara healed him with spirit water and brought him back, but the point still stands.” Sokka waved his hand around in a dismissive gesture. “She also almost killed every member of our team when she bombed the Western Air Temple, and not to mention what she suggested on the day of the comet. I think anything beyond three hots and a cot in prison is too generous for her.”

Jin glanced at Sokka and scowled. Sokka felt squirmy inside. If Azula scowled at him, it wouldn’t have mattered, because she was evil and who cares what she thinks. But if Jin, the absolute sweetheart, was mad at him? It felt really bad.

Not bad enough for his to take back what he said about Azula, because he really believed she deserved every bad thing coming her way, but bad all the same.

Beside him, Suki was squirming too, as if she was very uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

Sokka took another sip of tea and glanced at Azula. He had to change the subject.

“Oh, by the way, this is kind of random, but I remember her being taller? Was she always so short?”

Over by Azula, Aang played Pai Sho with some old lady. He tried to say something to Azula, but she just snapped at him. Sokka couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Aang looked slightly scared, so it was probably one of her usual Azula diatribes.

Suki chuckled and took a sip of her tea. “What she lacks in height she makes up for in personality.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I really enjoy using the _Hanzi_ as much as possible. If you are a native Chinese speaker, please let me know if anything is grammatically incorrect!
> 
> I wonder what's next for Azula?
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are appreciated! :D


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